Fate & Destiny
by Tsuki KamiNeko
Summary: When Fate gives her a 2nd chance at finding herself again Izumi takes it by the storm, but now with an inevitable force after them she finally realizes what she must do to finish the ending of the unwritten story. Takumi, Kouichi
1. Beginning of the End

Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

She smiled weakly at the two brothers hugging at the hospital, she was so happy to see that Kouichi was going to be fine and that Koji finally learned the truth about his twin brother which was all so strange to begin with. She looked around the hospital; it was the same time she left the other day… it was as if nothing has changed ever since they all left. Everything was in place and everyone was going about his or her usual business.

'_What's wrong with this…'_

Why did it feel like something was out of the picture, that she had a feeling something bad was going to happen even though they had saved the world and the digital world too, why is it that she can't shake this feeling of impending doom that's about to come? Izumi shivered a bit as she rubbed her arms and went out to take a breath; the setting sun gleamed against the white walls of the hospital as Izumi leaned against it. This place smelled too clean, it wasn't the clean that she had always nagged at the boys about cleaning after themselves it was as if they were trying to clean something more… all this antiseptic cleaners.

'_It's Death…'_ She thought bitterly, she never liked the hospital, there was too many things going on up and down the halls. _'You never know when the next person will die and…'_ Izumi was disrupted from her inner thoughts when she heard the door near her click softly; she looked up to be met up with Takuya's soft brown eyes. There was a change in them that she never really noticed, before when they met at the platform and where she thought he was just some immature boy trying to get to her it was just the eyes of a 14 year old… but now, now there's more to it. He's grown up. His light brown eyes are speckled with little dark brown like secrets unknown, you wouldn't be able to see it if you didn't concentrate, but it shone brightly under the sun as he smiled at her. He motioned something with his hand but Izumi was too caught up at Takuya's eyes to notice until he gently shook her shoulder that she snapped out of her daze from being mesmerized by his eyes so suddenly.

"Izumi… you ok?" He asked with a lilting voice that was full of concern and worry, she looked back at him with her emerald green eyes and smiled.

"I'm fine Takuya… how are they?" She asked him with not much thought as she sat down on a chair near by, Takuya sat down next to her and took off his hat and ruffled his messy dark brown hair.

"Izumi…" He started as he turned towards her, Izumi flinched as she pulled up her legs and cradled it burying her head into it.

"Takuya… Please. Not right now. I can't bare the thought…" Her voice was cracking under the pressure, as she knew that this was why she felt something horrible was going to happen. They were leaving. She knew at some point at the end when they returned home they were all going to go back to their own lives again, but… but how could she, after all that they've been through? She can't just waltz back into her old drab life again. She felt his fingers touch her knee as he took her hand in his, he had taken off his gloves and she felt his warm hands touch her pale soft ones. Just his mere touch made her skin prickle, she could feel the whole of her body react to it. They stayed like that for a while, just him holding her hands in his, it wasn't awkward or anything it just felt right at the moment. Izumi pulled her face out of her knees, her face was tinted with pink and her lips were pouting and her long golden hair bounced around her face like sunrays. Takuya looked at her and something inside of him felt like he was leaving a part of him behind, but he couldn't understand why.

'_I'm going to miss this girl…'_ he thought silently as he pulled his hand away from hers, but she only tightened her grip on his hand. She didn't look over at him as she spoke, but he could hear that she was having trouble saying it.

"Are… Are you leaving?" She finally said, he sighed as he adorned his hat back on and took out his cell phone to check the time, he needed to get back to Shinya's birthday party or else they would think something bad had happened and do something really stupid because of that assumption. Her grip loosened and pulled away with hesitation, but he took them in his again.

"Izumi, look at me." He said with a stronger tone in his voice, she slowly turned to look at him, forest green met hazelnut. Her eyes were red and tearing up, it was falling down her wan cheeks and his heart was stabbed with pain as he saw Izumi cry. She was usually the strong one in the group ready to do anything and always head strong about her opinions, but now he's made her cry. He used his thumb and gently wiped away her tears, he didn't know where the confidence was coming from he would usually never dare approach a girl like this, but now all he wanted to do was make her smile again.

"Izumi don't cry… We promise to never forget what we went through together, we're a team remember? You have to be strong." She hiccupped and brushed away his hand and stared at him with eyes more like Izumi's.

"God Takuya I'm not crying!" She said with a infuriated look in her eyes, "The antiseptic cleaners in this room is freaking burning my eyes that's all!" He smiled at her as his eyes softened, he stood up and looked apologetically down.

"I have to go… Say bye for me will you?" Izumi stared up dumbfound with shock, Takuya was really leaving. She watched his figure disappear behind a wall of people and in another glimpse he was gone. It was at this precise moment that Izumi felt her heart stop.

After that nothing really seemed to be real anymore, she watched each one leave the hospital one by one. Tomoki left when his brother came to pick him up and Junpei left right after when his mom came. Koji stayed behind a little while longer to stay with Kouichi, but at the end even he had to go home. She finally stood up and was about to leave when a voice stopped her.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok Izumi?" It was Kouichi, the door was slightly ajar and because the hospital was quite deserted on their floor his voice rang out. She looked back and faced the door absentmindedly, her feet made weird squeaking noises as she played with the linoleum floor.

"To tell you the truth Kouichi, I don't think I am ok. I love my life the way it was when I was with you guys and now… it's like my fairytale is being torn apart page by page." She said painfully as an image of the fading Takuya replayed in her mind.

"Come in here Izumi, I can't see you behind that door that's blocking your beautiful face!" he said with hint of laughter in his voice, this made Izumi grin a little as she stepped through the door and pulled up a chair next to Kouichi's bed. He had the same physical appearance as Koji but Kouichi had short messy hair whereas Koji had his long and in a ponytail and they differ on personality levels. There was a book opened on his lap as he propped himself up a little more, then he sighed a breath of relief as his blue eyes fell on Izumi.

"Don't worry Izumi, we'll be here always whenever you need you us just close your eyes and wish hard and we'll be there." He said delicately brushing a strand of stray blonde hair from Izumi's face; her face was unreadable as she was fighting inside of herself.

'_Everything… No. This fairytale ended a long time ago Izumi there's nothing left for you.'_

She can't do this, this pain and fear of being alone was too much for her, she stood up and ran out the door without saying goodbye.


	2. Surprise

Chapter 2: Surprise

Three years. Three years has passed since that fateful day they returned, and it's been two years since the guys walked out of her life, and like everything else she went back to her normal trivial life that she had before she met her companions. It was strange at first, she was afraid that she would never be able to step through the halls of her school again without thinking about the boys, but it wasn't that hard to blend back in the black and white story of her life. She felt as though what had happened long ago was just a story someone had told her and like every story it had the fading effects too, the magical realm of the digital world seem to fade everyday and the pictures of each face seem to disappear along with it. She wasn't exactly the same person as she was before, even though the memory was fading didn't mean that the effects of the adventure melted away too. Izumi was much more confident in herself and she was bold in her views too, she allowed herself to be heard among the student body voicing her opinions. Back then when she just came back form Italy she would just shy away letting people run over her like a rag doll. Just then someone rapped her on the shoulder, she pulled out of her thoughts as she turned around. A fellow student who had cleaning duty after school looked at her with worried eyes.

"Izumi-san… Its getting late, shouldn't you be heading home?" Izumi looked at the clock above the chalkboard and it read 5:45 pm, her mind went blank for a moment then she began to pack her things, she said a small thank you to her classmate and left the schoolyard. She trudged her way home as the sky was getting darker but she didn't care, there was nothing to look forward to anyways when she was home all there ever was, was her homework, dinner, shower, then off to bed. Why couldn't her life be like what it was before where everyday was an adventure, well except for all the walking that they did. That thought made her smile, as she got closer to her house. Little did she know that on that day Fate decided to bring back a distant past that would change the course of Izumi's life.

Izumi opened the gate and literally dragged her book bag behind her when she heard a voice ahead of her, a voice in which she knew so well, a voice that had haunted her dreams since the day he left her life.

"Izumi? I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come home." He said casually. She stared at him for a moment as the disbelief was starting to kick in, she just walked right past him fumbled with her keys, opened the door and let herself in then she slammed the door shut. The young man outside stood there for a brief moment before the door opened again with a bewildered blonde looking back at him. Those beautiful hazelnut colored eyes stared back at her as she blinked, she could feel the tears dangerously close to spilling out but she couldn't let him win this war. Mixed emotions were at play as each one passed through Izumi and you can clearly see it on her face.

"What the hell are you doing here Takuya?" She blurted out with much more anger and venom than she intended to have. He seemed hurt at her words, but she didn't regret saying them, it wasn't fair to her that he just appear out of the blue like that, he didn't even call her in the past three years let alone just appear on her door steps like this! She stepped out of the door and closed it behind her gently, he kicked the floor with his shoes, and she looked at him thoroughly. His childish features has disappeared and replaced was a angular face that sloped down just perfectly under that messy dark brown chocolate hair of his, and those ever alluring eyes of his were still the captivating hazel color that she remembered them to be from three years ago. He stepped closer to her and she realized that he had outgrown her by a head that now she had to look up to meet his gaze. He gave her a quirky grin that made her anger falter, she just couldn't be mad at him even if he had just disappeared. And from nowhere his arms snaked around her slim waist and pulled her into a hug. _Breaking point_. The tears just came out with no barriers as her arms found their way around his neck and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. It may have not been the best reunion that Izumi could think of but all that mattered was that he was back in her life and that was the best miracle she could wish for. At least she knew somewhere that far away fairytale of hers wasn't all a dream but actual reality now that part of it was in her arms.

"I came to see you Izumi, we've—I've missed you." He simply said, as they pulled apart. Izumi wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and stared at him.

"You… You missed me?" she said surprised, he laughed and leaned against a wooden frame near the front door. The night was warm and alive with little critters in the air, you could tell that the next morning was going to be a beautiful day; he took her and lead her out the gates with a enigmatic look on his face. They walked in silence as Izumi felt her stomach bunch up with anticipation; he's so different from the young, immature Takuya that she met three years ago at the train station. This one… this one was harder to read, he has a mysterious quality to him that he never had before something like what Koji had but there was no coldness to it. She needed to know why he just showed up so suddenly again, why so long…? Izumi put her feet down so they both stopped in mid-track, she couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Why'd you come back Takuya… after three years… I don't understand." She said with a stubborn tone to her voice. Takuya looked at the girl before him, the long blonde locks and piercing green eyes hadn't changed over the passed years.

'_Always so stubborn… this girl is…'_ He smiled inwardly to himself as his grip on her hand tightened, he wanted to tell her everything, everything he knew and what was going to happen. But no, he can't, he can't cause any more pain for her tonight he's already hurt her enough.

"Trust me ok?" He said lightly and then they were walking again, they made their way to the Shibuya Train Station, the bustling station was crowded with men and women alike all heading home at this time, you can say that it was rush hour moment when everybody got off work. They entered a train and sat down in silence, Izumi looked around, she could see a lot of kids like her still in their school uniforms, probably heading towards cram school unlike Takuya, he was in a pair of skinny jeans that fit his legs just perfectly, a black t-shirt with strange words on them and a grey jacket with many zippers all located in very strange places. His hair was still a mess even all these years he hasn't even attempted to straighten it out, then impulsively she touched his hair and smoothed it down a little which was still no use. He looked at her a little surprised at her action, she quickly withdrew her hand and turned away hoping he didn't see the pink that was crawling across her face. He just smiled; they sat like that for a moment hand in hand on the train, if people didn't know better they would've thought that the two were together. Somewhere along the ride Izumi had fallen asleep, when she woke up the train was almost empty with the exception of some old ladies and businessmen. Finally the train slowed down and Takuya looked over at her with a mischievous grin playing on his face.

"Come on we're almost there." When they both walked out the disclosed door Izumi could hear the old ladies laugh a little and say, "Ah, young love."

They ended up at the beach side, the crescent moon shone lightly across the ocean as it rocked back and fourth the sound making Izumi's jittery feeling at ease. The scent of ocean salt washed across them as she took in a deep breath, oh how she had missed this smell: The smell of pure freedom, away from the concrete jungle of the city. She took off her shoe and ran across the sand squishing her toes into the soft, warm sand that had been warmed up by the day's sunlight. She bit her lip as a smile was forming on her face as she looked up at the standing figure at the other end of the beach; she motioned Takuya to come with a wave of her hand. He slowly made his way to her, hands in his pocket then he stopped right in front of her and cocked his head, "Having fun?" She turned around making her hair whip around and fly around her face with the utmost elegance he's ever seen.

"Yes!" She shouted to the twinkling sky as she whirled around and finally dropped to the sand, Takuya bent down at Izumi's laying form in the sand. Then he took her hand again and helped her up as she dusted the sand from her clothes.

"I haven't showed you the best part yet," He said faintly, "Ok, I'm going to cover your eyes so you won't peek, I want to show you something." He covered her eyes with his and led her forward; she could feel the warmth of his body as his leg knocked against hers, and his fingers playing across her petite waist. Finally she could hear other voices around her not many but a few maybe 4 or 5 of them and they were all guy voices low and careful. These voices… something about them seemed really familiar but she couldn't pinpoint what was it about these voices that triggered an au fait memory at the back of her head, then she could feel Takuya putting his chin on her shoulder as his lips brushed against her ears making her body react in a way she didn't know a guy could.

"Ok… ready, I'm going to let go now," He whispered into her ears airily, his breathtickling the side of her neck. Slowly moonlight flooded her vision as her eyesight adjusted to surrounding area she could see 4 figures standing in front of her the beach behind them and a cake lit with candles in their hands.

"Surprise… And happy birthday Izumi." Takuya said blithely into her ears.


	3. Wishes and a Miracle

A/N: Well, I updated this chapter again as I tried to rearrange it a little bit better that way it wouldn't bug me as much because I had rushed through 'Wishes and a Miracle' due to reasons in which I don't know why I did, but here I am putting asides school work to do this… (: Remember to review I need to see if I should go on [I _want to_ finish this but still...

Chapter 3: Wishes and a Miracle

Birthday? What the heck is Takuya talking about? She looked at them all, they were all there: Koji, Kouichi, Junpei, and Tomoki. Her green eyes were met back with two deep blue ones of identical twins, a brown one from a magician, and mahogany ones from the sensible young one, she could feel herself inhaling deeply as million of different memories rushed past in her head making her light headed. She took a step forward, they've all grown up so much that they're physical appearances were unrecognizable but there was still something in them that Izumi was still familiar with, it was like a nostalgia or something. Koji and Kouichi had both grown tall and handsome, but Koji had kept his hair long and in a ponytail and Kouichi had somewhat grown out his hair but not as much as his twin brother Koji. Junpei had somewhat lost some weight since graduating high school, and now standing before her was a 5'11" brown haired boy with toned arms smiling down at her. And lastly the young and cute 14-year-old Tomoki, a freshman in high school that had an unexpected growth spurt during their years apart was as tall as Izumi maybe even a little taller. She could feel the overwhelming joy that was about to burst through her chest as she rushed forward and hugged them all making all the boys turn red but they were happy to see their wind bearer Izumi well and happy.

She had been so cooped up within her own mind that she had forgotten that it was her birthday; she couldn't believe that these guys remembered… She was so afraid of the fleeting fantasy in her head everything around her just didn't seem to be that important. The fire roared in front of her as the guys around her chatted trying to catch up on the good old days, then she felt someone sit next to her. She tilted her head a little to see Koji next to her playing with the sand with his finger.

"How you holding up?" He asked not looking at her but at the fire that was dancing in front of them, Izumi shrugged. At first everything seemed to be pouring into her as past thoughts resurfaced and the adventure at the digital world seemed more clear than ever. She shifted her position so that she was hugging her legs and burying her face into her hands as she asked the one question that she feared most, "How long…?" She didn't have to ask the whole question for Koji to understand what she meant.

"The summer," He said, it was then that she looked up her eyes big with surprise.

'_The summer…'_

That means that she still has time to spend with them before they all left again, but mostly she was glad that they were staying for the summer because… well because of Takuya. She was just happy that now she has the time to pummel him to a pulp for leaving so abruptly that day three years ago. Payback is a bitch. She's going t make it the best summer he'll ever remember. Soon the others gathered around with presents and the cake so Izumi could make a wish upon the candles lit on her cake.

'_I wish…'_ There was only one wish she wanted more than anything in the world and hopefully the angels above heard her wish. She blew out her candles and the boys dug in like pigs, Izumi backed up as Junpei and Tomoki fought for the biggest piece and she watched them with inattentive eyes as her fingers traced the outer edges of the wrapped presents in front of her. The glittering wrapping paper sparkled under the moon as she touched it mindlessly, her thoughts scattered for a moment as she looked towards the sea. The swaying motion of the dark water made her mind drift back in time as scenes began to unfold in her remembrance.

'_I think we should go this way.' Takuya and Izumi said in unison, Takuya's finger pointed towards the East, whereas Izumi had pointed west. They turned around and glared at each other with gritted teeth and clenched fists._

'_No, I really think that we should head east.' Takuya said trying to keep his temper down. Izumi looked down at him with an evil grin._

'_No, the last time we followed you we almost got killed!' She retorted, Tomoki stood between them and sighed as Junpei sat down on the railroad tracks that spilt in to two different directions. This was going to take a while._

At this moment Izumi laughed a little at the memory, she was surprised at herself and the fun that she was allowing herself to have. She hadn't had so much fun since the day everything sort of went back to normal, even though occasionally she would go and hang with her friends at the mall or something it was different with them. It was genuine, not some fake façade of happiness to make others happy.

"Izumi! What are you doing there all by yourself? Come and open the presents already!" Junpei shouted above the roar of the waves, she smiled at them as she got up. She wasn't going to ruin it for herself today; it was her birthday she deserved to be happy. She raced across the sand and melted into their strong grip. Two arms found their way across her shoulder and waist as they laughed the night away. It was nothing short of a miracle for Izumi that night.


	4. At the other End of the Insult

A/N: Well even though it didn't turn out the way I wanted to, it veered off into a different path that ended nicely for me, I guess I didn't really have a plan for this story so I kind of went along and just pieced this one together as I was typing it. It's amazing how my thoughts can go way off course then the intended route from the beginning.

Chapter 4: At the other End of the Insult

He walked her home that night; they walked side by side on the street. Their arms gently touching each other as they rhythmically went back in forth in a pattern, they didn't mind though. The street lamps glowed dimly as they walked on in silence, she didn't know what to say to him, there was just not enough words in the world to thank him enough for all that he has done for her in the past two hours that they spent together on the beach with Koji and the others. He had given the best gift anyone could've given her for her birthday, she felt like she was blessed beyond everything in the world. She was still thinking on how she was going thank him when they arrived at her house, the lights in the house were lit and she could see that her parents were home. They stood outside her gates for a moment before Takuya opened it and gestured Izumi to go in, she turned to look at him for a moment before going in. He tilted his head in a quizzical way as if he knew she wanted to say something to him. She pulled on her hair as she thought of a way to put her thoughts into words, finally she gave up and just smiled at him and placed a kiss on his cheeks. He turned a little red and grinned, "Thanks…?" He laughed at this as he put his hand in his pockets and started to turn away. Before opening the door and going in she turned back again,

"Takuya…?"

He turned around, "Yes?"

"Am I going to see you again tomorrow?" She asked with a hesitant look in her eyes as her fingers gripped the doorknob with false hope. His faced turned into a light look for a moment where Izumi swore she saw a hint of sadness,

"If you want to see me Izumi…" He said finally, she looked satisfied at this answer as she went inside and slowly closed the door behind her. That night Izumi had sweet dreams instead of empty nightmares.

----------------------------------

"You kissed him?" Her friend asked with an incredulous look on her face as she sipped on a mango strawberry smoothie from their favorite hangout: 'iStar', " Yeah… you're out of your mind Izumi. You should've known better than that! What the hell were you thinking?" Izumi shrugged as she played with her green apple frozen yogurt, it was a Saturday and Izumi was out with her friend Aoi at iStar a local hangout for teenagers just down the street where Izumi land Aoi lived. She told her everything that happened to her the other night because somehow she just couldn't keep such news away from Aoi. The strawberry topping on top of her yogurt fell off the side and hit the floor, she absent-mindedly kicked it and it slid under the computer table, after the small red fruit disappeared she looked up at her dark haired friend and frowned.

" I don't get what so bad about kissing him Aoi, it wasn't like it was on the lips or anything. Just a peck on the cheek meaning a thank you for all that he did for me…" At that subject Aoi's face lit up as she smiled frolicsomely at Izumi.

"I still can't believe he traveled all the way down here just to see you… you two must share some serious history together for a guy to such things for a girl… and not just one guy but 5? God you've been holding out on me." She said with a faux pout look. Izumi rolled her eyes at Aoi as she ate another spoonful of her yogurt, she bit on her spoon and thought about what Aoi had said.

'_Didn't make much sense that they arrived so sudden after three years…'_

"Hey… you don't by any chance have pictures of these guys do you…? Aoi asked in a hushed whisper leaning towards Izumi making her lean back, she sighed as she took out her wallet and pulled out a small delicate little picture of them together the day they came back to Earth. Aoi eyes grew bigger each minute that she scanned the picture that Izumi thought her eyes would fall out of her socket if she didn't close them anytime soon.

"Damn…" She looked at Izumi with a cryptic look then back at the picture, she then handed the picture back but not before dropping her now empty cup on the floor as her face turned a little white. She gave Aoi a look as she craned her head back at what Aoi was staring at, her heart almost jumped out of her chest when she saw whom it was. For Izumi the familiar dark brown hair and auburn eyes were recognizable from a thousand miles away, heck even if she was blind she could've probably recognized him.

'_What the hell is doing here…?!' _She slumped into her chair as she tried to think of some way to escape from this place without him noticing.

"Damn…" She muttered to myself as she gathered her stuff slowly without making a scene, Aoi kept poking at her that she finally turned her head to look at her friend with gritted teeth and a fake plastered smile on her face.

"What! Aoi?" She said a little bit too loud that the people around them turned their heads to look at the two girls. Aoi waved at them to ignore them then stared solemnly at Izumi that Izumi was quite surprised that she even had that face.

"I think Fate is trying to tell you something here." She said in a low voice and her lilac eyes indicating a specific person behind her, Izumi shook her head as she stood up with her things and was about to head out the door when Aoi took her arm and looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Please Izumi, give this a chance will you?" She said with a rather panicked tone as she pulled on her sleeve. Izumi looked into her friend's amethyst eyes and saw something of fear in them.

"Why do you insist that I give it a chance? He's just a friend and nothing else." She said finally pulling away from Aoi's touch. She pulled the door opened and walked outside with Aoi trailing behind her.

"Then why of all places he could've gone that he chose to come to iStar to get a drink? Chances like that never happen Izumi, you've got to embrace Fate and Luck." Aoi said as she ran to catch up with Izumi, she didn't want to hear anymore of it she was sick and tired of letting Fate run her life, all it did was make her miserable. It was then that she cracked.

"Aoi, there is no Fate and there is no Luck, you're too superstitious for your own good! Every time I leave my future in the hands of Fate all it did was make my life that much more unbearable. It's like it's got something against me or something, what did I do to deserve this kind of punishment? I already lost him once because I got too close and I'm not about to lose my heart again… You wouldn't understand Aoi, you never had to fix a heart was wasn't even whole to begin with." Izumi spitted out with a harsh tone her eyes turned a cold dark green that burned with an icy fire. Aoi looked at her friend, the abrupt change in her eyes scared her, but mostly she felt hurt as she knew the words were directly meant for her because she had it easy with the men in her life as guys fell left and right for her.

"You're not being fair Izumi, I didn't choose to have it easy. Why are you being like this as if Fate is everything to be blamed for? You choose the decisions that led up to this day… don't go blaming Fate for it." Aoi retorted her hands were balled into fists as the two girls squared off with each other on the side - walk, the hate was so strong that anyone of 10 ft from them could be sucked into it, the two just silently turned their heads and began walking. The walk home was unbearably quiet as the two girls walked at different paces so one was in front of the other, Izumi was still angry about what they had discussed in front of the store, it was all Fate's fault always has been.

_Or was it all in her head because she's afraid to admit that this was all her? _

Finally they reached the outskirts of Izumi's neighborhood, this was where the two usually departed when they walked home together but today was different, the two of them just stood there like wood statues as they played staring contest with the hard cold concrete floor. They stood there for a moment without saying anything then Aoi turned and headed the other way towards her house, "I gotta go…" was all she muttered to Izumi as she ran across the cracked pavement towards something familiar that will give her a sense of comfort and shelter from the cold harsh world because… Aoi didn't want Izumi to see the drops that were falling from her eyes.

------------------------------------

Izumi opened the gate to her house and there he was leaning against the wooden frames of her front door with his half empty cup of whatever he got from iStar in his hand, his perfect silhouette against the whiteness of her house. He looked over at her and was surprised to see tears falling from her eyes as she walked up to him, dropped her things on the floor and just cried into his chest, he didn't ask so he just held her in his arms. How did she of all people end up at the other end of the insult?


	5. Unmade Promises

A/N: In chapter 1 I changed their ages a bit so it was easier for me to work with. Ok on with the show! REVIEW PLEASE!

Chapter 5: Unmade Promise

They sat there for a while, him holding her and she just nestling herself in his neck, they watched the sunset for a while before she felt her eyes droop with exhaustion, the years of waiting, pain, and tears crashed down on her as the fight with Aoi was the very thing that broke her down in the end. She didn't know how a couple of hour's drama can drain of a person's energy, but she didn't want to move from her position that she was sitting it.

_It's so comfortable…_

Something escaped from her throat as she realized that it was a sigh, Takuya shifted a bit and looked at her. The poor girl looked tired as her eyes were drooping and she looked really pale compared to what she first looked like when she came through the gate. He stroked her hair a bit then spoke lightly to her, "Want to go in? It seems like you need to rest Izumi…" She shook her blonde locks in stubbornness as she clutched tighter onto his jacket, he sighed.

"Izumi… don't be stubborn with me." Still she shook her head in disapproval of going in and losing the warmth of his body next to hers. He didn't have any other choice as he put his arm under her feet and lifted her without effort into his arms. A squeal of surprise left her mouth as she quickly covered it, when did he become so much stronger than what she expected? He was surprised at himself too, he had always saw Izumi as the strong one but now that she was in his arms she was so light and thin.

'_Has she always been this lithe and slender?'_ He wondered to himself as one of his hands touched her arms. _'All I had to do was work out a little harder and I could've beaten her…' _She felt his hesitation and looked up at him with her pink tinted face, clearly showing how embarrassed she felt at the moment.

"What?" She demanded to know, he just looked at her with a blank face then he cracked a smile and said, "You're lighter than I expected…" Her face fell with disbelief but then it turned angry as she took it as an insult.

"What… are you expecting me to be really heavy or something? Is that what you insinuating, that I'm fat?" She asked with a pissed tone, he just laughed at her as he opened the door with his foot, Izumi kicked off her shoes as Takuya carried her upstairs to her room. He set her down gently but still she didn't let go, he couldn't see her face as her hair was covering it, finally she spoke something under her breath. Takuya leaned in closer that he could feel her arms touch his, sending little electrical feelings throughout his body; he could feel his breath shorten and his heart pound faster.

"Don't leave," she said softly, he caught himself before he let himself go as he pulled away from her and stood up to smooth out her hair, he leaned in and kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I promise I won't, I'll be right here with you always."

-----------------------------

The sun came through the blinds as Izumi opened her eyes to the glaring sunlight, she mumbled incoherently as she dragged herself out of bed. She looked around her room expecting the auburn haired boy to be around but… he was gone. Her heart sank a little as she trudged her way to the bathroom and turned on the water, she sat on the sink table and let the water run creating like puffs of hot air that steamed the mirrors behind her.

'_He promised…' _The bathroom grew warm with the hot water pouring from the showerhead; Izumi stripped down and went inside, the hot water slid down her pale skin as she sat curled up against the wall of the bathroom. Everything that's happened to her in the last 2 days felt like a dream to her, everything was messed up and twisted into ways where she can't fix it anymore. But wasn't this what she wanted though? Having to see them again, being able to prove that: yes, her fantasy dreams were real and not fake, to be able to be near Takuya again? Then what about Aoi…? She was the one that was always there when Izumi needed her; in fact Aoi seemed to have appeared at the exact same time when she needed someone the most. She remembered that Aoi was the new girl in school and Izumi knew what it was like being the new girl so she introduced herself and from that a friendship bloomed. Yes, Aoi was a little different with her eccentric style and superstitious beliefs but that didn't mean she had the right to say what she did to Aoi.

'_Because Fate was a bitch to me and ruined the only thing I had left that made me happy…' _She thought bitterly to herself as she turned off the water. The shower wasn't helping.

-------------------------------

"Fate."

"Takuya." The two stared down at each other as if they were having a stare down match; the street they were on was empty and silent as the two teens stood face to face to each other. Fate had her arms crossed on her chest and was looking pretty ticked off about something; the same face was mirroring hers as she looked at Takuya.

"What the hell!" They both shouted simultaneously at each other, "Hey! Me first!" They both stopped short after that fuming with relentless anger. The dark haired girl with lilac eyes stepped forward her whole body emitting some sort of dark red light. Takuya scoffed as he rolled his eyes, "Don't give me your attitude Fate, when you're the one who screwed up this time." This stopped the red glow from the young girl across from him, but her eyes were still burning with wrath.

"At least I'm not the one leaving." She sneered with detest; this comment broke through to Takuya as he flinched at an unexpected pain in his chest. Fate chuckled as she saw this, "Yes Takuya, its called pain I hope you know what it is." Takuya glared at her with eyes of hate.

"You-- you could only blame yourself… that the plan didn't work out in your favor." Takuya panted as the pain in his chest tightened its almost lethal grip on his heart. Fate's purple eyes twitched a little as she heard this comment from the mortal on the ground.

"She said some horrible stuff to me that really hurt." Fate murmured under her breath so that only Takuya could hear. He let out a breath as the pain resided a bit; he didn't know what to say on that part. He had seen them fight the other day and it just made the plan that much more complicated now that Izumi isn't talking to her.

"It's not like she knows… about you." Takuya said with an apologetic tone in his words. Fate's shoulders slumped as her purple eyes met with Takuya's light brown ones; he looked down to the floor.

"How can I help her if she won't believe in giving it a chance?" yes, she had messed up too and now the young blonde wind bearer might not make it as she had hoped.

"We have to fix our mistakes Takuya, she deserves to be happy." She said stepping closer to Takuya whose eyes were fixed on the ground.

'_There's only one person who I can think of that can save her from this pain…'_

"I can't stop the wheels from turning Fate… it happened and now I'm leaving… what am I suppose to do?" He asked her looking up from the floor. She folded her arms together again as she stared off into space for a while, then her head snapped back into attention.

"I can only guide you through this Takuya nothing else, you asked for my help 3 years ago and now you're here. Do what your heart tells you is right." With that she gave him a hopeful look and disappeared with the wind. He looked up at the sky as the wind slowly stopped and gave a half wistful smile.

"Thanks for the advice… Aoi."


	6. Unexpected Question

A/N: Ok, well yeah this one took quite long due to many circumstances like schoolwork, sleep, school, art classes, and most of all those damn writer's blocks that I often get. Well the thing is that the Microsoft Word on the laptop is about to expire out on me so I got to renew it and crap so bare with me as I won't be able to up load anytime soon [I will attempt to upload at a friends! Remember R/R! Also happy holidays to all as I wish you a happy vacation! (:

Chapter 6: Unexpected Question

She stepped out of the shower with heat bellowing from behind the glass doors as she reached for her beige towel on the rack. She wrapped it around her slim body and sighed as she wiped away the fog that covered the reflective glass in front of her; sharp green eyes glared back at her as she took a step back to take a better look at herself. What was wrong with her? First it was Takuya and now Aoi? Was she trying to push everyone that cared for her away?

'_It's not like I do this on purpose… It's just…' _But there was no excuse to why she acted the way she did towards her friends, what made her so bitter? That was a question she couldn't answer even after years of searching. She had to fix the wrongs that she did or else it'll only deteriorate further until there's nothing left for her to salvage back. She made her way to her room and slipped into a pair of baby blue sweats and white cami top as she tussled her hair a little more with her towel, then headed towards the kitchen to make something to eat. She walked down the stairs and heard her mom working at the kitchen dinner table.

"Morning mom," Izumi said unenthusiastically opening the refrigerator and taking out the milk then the cereal from the cupboard. Her mother looked up from her paperwork and smiled at her daughter, Izumi had some resemblance to her mother as they both have the same blonde hair and soft facial features whereas her father had toffee brown hair but she had gotten her green eyes from him though, her mother had blue eyes.

"Sweetie, your friend… last night… he was in your room asleep." Her mother stated with a cautious tone, Izumi could feel her face flare to life as she turned around and put the milk away without even pouring it in her now cereal filled bowl. Her mother looked questioningly at her daughter, how could she not have known about the boys in her daughter's life? It's suppose to be obvious isn't? Izumi didn't say anything as she moved about in the kitchen trying to make herself busy, her mom watched her as she waited for an answer.

"Nothing happened mom, we're not like that… I didn't want to be alone that night so I asked him to stay with me." She said inconspicuously while she played with her dry cereal. She looked at her daughter and for once Izumi seemed to be alive with life as her cheeks were flushed with color and her eyes were sparkling with new tenacity. She smiled absentmindedly to herself, her daughter was back and it seems like the boy did more good then she had thought. Izumi noticed the weird grin on her mother's face as she turned to scowl at her.

"What's the grin for?" She snapped haughtily at her mom pushing her cereal away now that she has lost her appetite for food, she looked around for something else to do. She shrugged and went back to her work on the table. Izumi rolled her eyes as she made a face, _parents_. Just then the doorbell rang chiming its tune throughout the house, both Izumi and her mother looked to the door before Izumi hopped to and opened the door. When the wooden doors of the Orimoto residence opened Izumi was surprised to see Takuya standing on her doorsteps with a silly grin on his face.

"Hey you," he said taking a step closer to her, she put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him in anger.

"Don't 'hey you' me like nothing's wrong Takuya Kanbara!" She said crossly as she leaned against the door, Takuya face broke.

_Calm down Takuya, no need to start arguing with her again… that way you can get away from her FREAKING long lectures that she blows into…_

He itched from saying something back at her, it was always like that since the day they met all they ever really did was argue about the most silliest things, but it's what makes their relationship the way it is. His eyes twitched a little as he put on a smile and shoved his fists in his pockets, "Thanks for the attitude I guess," he muttered under his breath. Too bad she heard that, "_My_ attitude? Have you checked yours? Why are you always so stubborn and hard headed about things? It's like you own world or something and go head on right into situations and never think it through!" She nearly shouted into his face reminding him of their days in the digital world. He rolled his eyes, but he smiled lightly to himself as he gave her a hug to clam her down.

"I'm sorry I worried you, and I'm sorry that I left last night even though I promised to stay by you… you're parents came home and well I didn't want things to get awkward or anything." He laughed dryly, he could feel Izumi take in a sharp breath as their bodies met but relaxed as he apologized, then she pushed him away with a flushed face.

"I wasn't worried Takuya, you're big boy you can take care of yourself. Don't worry about last night it's not like I was sad that you left." She said rather quickly as she turned away.

"Aw, don't be like that. Junpei told me that you almost cried when Mercurymon had me by the throat," he teased as he poked her arm lightly.

'_Damn you Junpei!' _she mentally kicked herself in the head as she clenched her hands into fists as an image of Junpei's face with a silly smile appeared in her mind. Just then Izumi's mother's voice rang out as she approached her daughter at the door,

"Who is it honey?" she peered out the door and saw a rather handsome looking young man standing outside with messy dark brown hair and tanned skin, "Oh! Who is this Izumi, I don't suppose this is your new boyfri-!" Izumi's face went completely red, as she knew what her mother was going to say as she pushed Takuya away from the door.

"OUT! OUT! WE'LL TALK OUTSIDE TAKUYA! JUST GO OUTSIDE!" Izumi whipped the words out like a tornado as she pushed him harder away from her mom; Takuya just had a confused look on his face as he kept walking forward, finally they were almost a block away from her house when she stopped and took couple of deep breaths. Takuya looked at Izumi as she stood up, "What was that about?" Izumi waved him off as she thought about the horrifying thing that was going to pop out of her mom's mouth earlier.

"Please don't remind me…" They walked the rest of the way out of the neighborhood and into a small park, Izumi sat down at one of the swings as Takuya pushed her from behind a little paces. The sun streamed through the leaves of the trees that covered the sky like an umbrella, the lights hit the cement floor of the park like little crystals dancing to the musical notes of the wind. The air was humid with little wind but it wasn't so bad that it was uncomfortable as the two hanged at the park. Takuya stopped the swing gently and put his chin on top of Izumi's head lightly as he pursed his lip in wanting to ask her something. She could tell that there was something on his mind; she didn't push him to tell her. She dug her sandaled feet into the cool sand and squished her toes into them and giggled as her feet rose from it again, she felt his fingers slip through hers as their fingers intertwined with each other then the words 'Just friends…' shot through her head, she let her hand drop to her lap. He walked around and sat next to her on one of the swings and looked forward without meeting her eyes.

"Izumi?" She looked up and watched the cars from across the street drive back and fourth in a pattern of the traffic light, she tilted her head in boredom with her green eyes scanning the rest of the surrounding area, "Remember the promise you made?" This time the question got her attention as she turned her head to look at him, Takuya was still facing forward and staring intently at something before him.

"What promise?" she asked with confusion, she couldn't remember any promise that she made with Takuya, and if she had she would've definitely remembered. She thought hard trying to remember what the promise was when Takuya looked over and saw how hard she was concentrating at trying to recall the promise that he burst out laughing. She frowned at him as she whacked him on the arm, still he laughed.

"What's so funny?" Izumi demanded, Takuya shook her head as tears began to form at the corners of his eyes from laughing too hard.

"Nothing. Just you're face was so twisted in concentration it was hilarious! But you don't have to try so hard, it wasn't an important promise or anything just a small reward for saving the digital world that's all." He smiled at her wiping a tear away from his eye, and then something clicked in her head as she remembered the memory of that day, the day where they went face to face with Cherubimon. Her lip curled into a sly smile when she looked back at him, "The date," He showed all his pearly whites when he smiled at her, "I kept my end of the deal, now you must full fill your end. I won't force you to go on a date with me though, only if you want." He reassured her, "So, would you, Izumi, do the honor as of going out with me?" he asked her rather flustered at himself as he started to fidget with his feet and looking down at his feet. Her green eyes softened as she smiled freely with utmost joy, " I would love to."

A/N: In the next chapter you'll see why Izumi's mother pretended not to know Takuya and actually have the guts to try and embarrass Izumi and how the fight between Aoi and Izumi will go on…? Or end…


	7. Unforeseen Astonishment

A/N: I have never written one so fast before in my life, it came spewing out at random intervals, as the ideas were everywhere they weren't exactly pieced together as usual. My eyes are burning like a mother effer, and I'm a bit irritated from lack of sleep and the agitation that Life tends to stir upon me is freaking killing me… D: Well here's the next chapter! (: Please remember to R/R! You know how much I love it hahahaha.

Chapter 7: Unforeseen Astonishment

"No way." The black haired boy said smiling at his best friend at the other end of the table as the 4 boys sat along the mahogany table, it was eloquently décor-ed with elegant white table cloths that was professionally weaved by hands of the most crafted weavers, the magnificent chandelier of crystals hung above them showering the dinner room with yellow light mixed with rainbow from the shimmering rocks. This was where Takuya and the others were staying as of guests to Lady Fate and her good fortunes with her father, Lord Jikoku. Takuya had a smug grin on his face as he leaned against his hand, "And you said I couldn't do it," Koji scoffed at this rolling his dark azure eyes at Takuya.

"Please, the offer was extended to both of us Takuya, but it was pretty obvious from the beginning that you had a thing for her." Koji retorted with sarcasm as he drummed the table with his fingers, "Well asides from Junpei that is." He said looking at Junpei with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Junpei huffed as he looked away rather annoyed that Izumi had agreed to go out with Takuya when it was him that tried so hard to impress her when they were at the digital world. Takuya didn't have to do anything; he had it all anyways the looks and the personality.

"You lucky bastard," Junpei sulked putting his head on the table, Tomoki chuckled as he patted his friend's back for comfort. It was Koichi's turn to roll his eyes at Junpei and flicked a paper football at his head. The paper bounced off of Junpei's brown mass of hair, he looked up with a glare and gritted teeth.

"Don't tell me that you still have that huge ass crush on her Junpei," He said absentmindedly making invisible circles on the table, his identical azure eyes that Koji has met with Junpei's fierce brown ones.

"Don't agitate me Kouichi, plus no I don't. I got over it." Junpei said was a satisfied 'ha-in-your-face-what-now' tone. Tomoki sighed, this always happened in the group: they fight like no tomorrow. If it wasn't Izumi and Takuya it was Takuya and Koji if it wasn't them two it was the twins going at it and so goes the process.

"Stop it you guys!" Tomoki said with a stern voice as he slammed the table, the three older guys at the table immediately quieted it down and looked at Tomoki with shocked eyes, Koji stood up and cracked his knuckles with a fierce wrathful look in his eyes and a malicious grin as he looked down at Tomoki. Tomoki didn't back down as he stared right back with his aquamarine eyes blaring with a new strength that had found it's way to Tomoki's heart since his fateful day of being transported to the digital world. He wasn't the pathetic sad little boy that he use to be having to have relied on everybody else for help, he grew up and now he can do things himself. His newfound height was also a plus to Tomoki's side.

"My, seems like the youngest warrior here is the most mature of all you older ones am I not right?" Fate said with a smile unfurling from her lips, all 4 pairs of eyes looked up at Fate as she entered the room, her soft scent of amber roses wafted through the air making Koji's temper simmer down as he took his seat and looked away. Junpei's face went pink as he saw her while Tomoki scampered to where she was and hid behind her away from Koji, just because he's grown up doesn't mean Koji wasn't scary anymore. Fate laughed at this as she patted his head and motioned him to sit. Kouichi's face had also turned a little red as she entered the room, he still couldn't get over the fact that she was so beautiful with her dark curls bouncing around her pale face and pink cheeks, her lustrous red lips looked so kissable…

"Kouichi?" he jerked awake from his inner thoughts as Fate called out his name, her purple eyes looked a little worried but it regained it's cheerfulness in them when he smiled, her beauty was unmatched by anything he could ever think of, if only he had a chance…

"I'm sorry," he laughed, "I was daydreaming."

"Always the dreamer," his brother muttered under his breath and Fate gave him a kick under the table, he yelped and gave her a look she just smiled. It wasn't fresh news that the conversation was about Izumi and well Takuya of course, she was ecstatic to hear that Takuya had asked about the long forgotten promise and now Izumi was going to full fill her end, "Well being the nosy brat that I am I think it's high time that her best friend intervenes don't you think?" Fate asked the boys but to Takuya in particular, his eyes twitched as he reluctantly nodded in agreement, Fate let a new wave of giggles out as she began to shimmer and change before their very eyes finally in place of where Fate use to be, sat Aoi in her street clothes as she sat up and looked a them with her violet eyes.

"Well let's get to work then shall we?"

------------------------------

Izumi pulled her hair up as she wiped away the sweat that appeared on her brow, the summer heat was really hitting the city hard it was much hotter than it was back when she was in Italy. She was working in her mother's garden pulling the weeds out, it wasn't a hard job or anything it was the heat that was really getting to her. School had ended and summer vacation started, she promised to make Takuya's summer a memorable one and yet here she is pulling out weeds in her mother's garden. Just then she heard the squeal of someone's voice as she turned to see Aoi running towards her at full speed, not even the heat seemed to slow her down. How'd she get in Izumi didn't even want to know, Aoi had a knack for either destroying things or blowing things up to get to where she wanted to go and Izumi prayed to God that she didn't blow up her gates again, her mom was going to be furious if she did. But today wasn't the day to yell at her, she had wanted to go over and apologize to her about what she said the other day and that she didn't mean it she was just mad and it just sort of rolled out on it's on accord. But every time she tried something stopped her and made her go back.

"IZUMI!" Aoi screamed as she pummeled right into her filthy clothes and all, she brushed the defiant strands of hair out of her eyes and looked at Aoi and her amethyst eyes that glowed with such intensity that it almost looked like it had a life of it's own.

"Aoi?" Izumi stated then blurted, "Who let you in?"

"You're mother of course silly!" Aoi said as if that was the most obvious thing in the world, she scurried through her bag and took out a silver hand watch, she popped it open and looked inside, her eyes grew wide as she stuffed it back in. She eyed Izumi up and down while shaking her head the whole time; finally she took her by the arm and pulled her up.

"Come, come. We don't have much time." She said rushing Izumi into the house and into the bathroom upstairs all the while stripping her down and turning the hot water on until the whole bathroom was filled with warm mist that it tingled Izumi's now bare body. She used her arms and legs to cover herself up.

"What the hell are you doing Aoi?!" Izumi cried as she was shoved under the hot water, she jumped at the change of temperature; Aoi was coming and going with piles of what seems to be clothes in her arms. She kept shaking her head as she threw this and that everywhere around her finally she made a gasping noise as she looked at something on the table, she turned around and looked at Izumi even though the glass was tinted with heated water.

"Get to scrubbing young lady time is precious!" Aoi said, Izumi did what she was told and lathered herself in her 'Forbidden Fantasy' body wash, she also rinsed her hair with her lilac shampoo in another 15 minutes she stepped out of the shower with Aoi busting through the door with make up and clothes in hand and a delighted smile on her face. In a few minutes Izumi was touched up and glamorized like a star about to walk the red carpet as Aoi stepped away from her and looked at the Izumi that was flashing back at them in the mirror. Izumi gasped at the change in front of her, she was doused in simple make up of light pink eye shadow that faded into the arches of her eyes and mascara that elongated her pale lashes and eyeliner dotted under her eyes. She simply looked gorgeous; she wore a pale summer skirt and a white halter-top that caressed her small waist at the perfect angles. She turned around and looked at Aoi,

"And what special occasion would we be attending to? " Izumi asked touching the light curls that are now falling down around her face, Aoi just smiled without saying anything as she put away her things. Izumi looked at the floor then back at Aoi in the mirror,

"I'm sorry… about the other day. I didn't mean to say those things." She apologized; Aoi stopped what she was doing, her smile faltered a little before she said anything.

"Don't worry about it, it's the past. What's done is done." She simply stated returning to putting her things away. Izumi turned around and touched Aoi's arm catching her off guard, Aoi turned to face her friend that was smiling up at her.

"Thank you."

Time passed by idly as the two chatted away lightly in Izumi's room, Izumi still had no idea what was going on until the door bell rang at 12:01 sharp at her amusement. Aoi led Izumi down as Izumi's mother opened the door to reveal Takuya who was done up pretty well too, but still causal enough to go out as 'street clothes'. He greeted her mother with a bow as his eyes made its way up the stairs and saw the most breath-taking view he's ever seen. Izumi looked stunning in that outfit and the way her hair curled just right under her neck, he was lost for words.

"Nice to see you again Takuya," Izumi's mother greeted him, he turned and smiled at her; the resemblance was uncanny. Now Takuya knew where Izumi had gotten her beauty.

"You too Mrs. Orimoto," he answered with a curt reply as Izumi and Aoi descended the stairs, she was still in shock that this was all happening. _What the hell was going on? _Aoi saw the look on her friend's face and patted her arm in reassurance that she wasn't going crazy.

"You know that date that you promised that boy you would go on…? Well today's the day…" Izumi looked at Aoi with her big green eyes as she pointed from Takuya to her mother then to Aoi and back. Then the puzzle pieces began to fall into place,

"You guys know each other already…" she said finally figuring it all out, but Aoi was already half way out her front gate when she gave Izumi a wink. Her own mother some how had disappeared from sight. _That's why she acted like she didn't know him! That little backstabber! _Izumi thought with a gritted smile.

'_Damn you Aoi! You sadist!' _She put a mental note to kick her ass the next time she saw her again. Takuya held out a hand, "Let's go then!" The day just started and already it was full of surprises.


	8. Frozen Treat

A/N: This one was kinda out there... but any who, it's winter break! That means I'm out for about two weeks over seas, I'm not sure if I can up load stores from a different country and all but I will see if I can (: I'm so frustrated..! Damn DMV crap...

Chapter 8: Frozen Treat

She was still fuming that they had taken advantage of her like that, in a moment the tables were turned on her, it just wasn't fair. Takuya looked back at the sulking girl and grinned, he slowed down until Izumi caught on to him her face was still in a frown as walked next to him with her hair flowing behind her. Even though it was shady of them to surprise her it was all worth it in the end, she glared at him as she turned to face him, he played the 'innocence' card.

"You know I hate those kinds of surprises Takuya," she said in a threatening tone, dragging his name out in a pissed kind of way. He hated it when she threw one of her temper tantrums at him, it was a hassle to handle and who knew how long it would last? That made him a little down as he scowled back her.

"I was trying to be cute," he snapped back at her shoving his hands in his jean pockets and glaring at the ground before him. She laughed out loud at this remark as she threw her head back, this time it was Takuya to turn red but not from embarrassment but humiliation as he gritted his teeth and eyes. The short silence made him look at Izumi who had stopped laughing at him instead was focusing her emerald green eyes at him, she smiled and took his hand in hers.

"You should know me by now Takuya Kanbara, you're cute the way you are." with that she turned around and started to walk again. Takuya just stood there for a moment as he let that sink in his head, did she just call him cute? He felt something sweet and joyous bubble from the bottom of his stomach that made him feel high and lightheaded and this feeling lasted until they reached the fair that Takuya had decided to take Izumi on their date. Balloon arches decorated the entrance as Takuya bought the tickets with variety of smells that wafted from within the fair from all the food that were being sold and they could little children trying to squirm free of their mothers trying to get to the cotton candy. Izumi laughed which made Takuya smile, her laughter ringed in the air around him as they entered the fair. It was quite packed from little children to old white haired couples out enjoying the sunshine. The air was vibrant with positive energy, Izumi and Takuya made their way to the ice cream stand to get something to cool their ever rising temperature bodies. The server's back was facing them as he was scooping ice cream for another customer, he was in a white uniform with a small hat, Izumi felt bad as the server had to wear thick white long pants on such a hot day. He turned around and Izumi's face just went blank for moment before recomposing herself as she stared at Kouichi who was handing the cup of ice cream to the customer standing next to Takuya. Takuya had a grin on his face as he snickered at his friend's choice of outfits, but then straightened himself as he leaned his arms on the ice cream serve bar.

"How's the weather Kouichi?" Takuya asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as Kouichi turned and faced him,

"Can it Takuya before I smack this ice cream in your face." He threatened holding the ice cream scooper up which was covered in different arrays of ice cream. Izumi burst out laughing as Takuya pretend to cower in fear of the small ice cream scooper, in the end they all ended in laughing fits as another figure approached holding a container of ice, a face popped from behind the large box and scowled at Kouichi.

"Get to work Kouichi, we're getting paid to work not flirt with your friend's girl." Kouji said putting the ice down and wiping his hands on his apron that he was wearing. Izumi went a little pink when she heard this, but she turned around hoping no one saw her cheeks.

"Geez don't you look cute in that pink apron of yours?" Takuya mocked at Kouji whom just glared daggers at his dark haired best friend.

"Well aren't you full of crap today Takuya?" He returned like a whip, Takuya held his hand in defense and pulled his mouth into a line, "Touche, touche!" Kouichi had exploded into laughter again. Izumi turned around again after she made sure that her face was back to normal again and faced the three boys, she had one question.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked rather curious of all places to get a job it would be here where she and Takuya was, she had her suspicions and theories. Kouji was first to answer that question, "You know parents, summer jobs, need the cash and stuff." he shrugged as if it was nothing, Kouichi nodded in agreement when Tomoki scrambled over with a note pad, also in aprons calling out orders to some one over his shoulders. He looked at Izumi gave her a smile and motioned Kouji to get going on the ice. She narrowed her eyes at him as he picked up the ice again and began to leave.

"So what's the deal? You're ALL here?" she asked enunciating the word 'all'. Kouichi laughed uneasily as he tried to explain, "How now that you mention it- wait look at the time I gotta go... er... boss is calling!" he ran off to who knows where leaving a very irritated Izumi and a perspiring Takuya whom seem to wilt when Kouichi left his station behind, now no one would serve him the ice cream that he wanted! Izumi picked Takuya up by his arm and rolled her eyes at him for being such a child, it was just ice cream for Christ's sake! How some how she had an inkling feeling that they were all watching.


	9. Two Hearts under One Sky

A/N: This one was long... OO well I think I really liked this one, because for once I'm not typing this while half asleep and it's kind of dark and sad... I'm not really sure but it came from the deeper end of the pool than the shallow end where everything is happy-go-lucky kind of thing. Remember to R/R:D Ok here it is chapter 9: Two Hearts under One Sky.

Chapter 9: Two Hearts under One Sky

Tomoki wiped his forehead with his arm as he watched Izumi drag Takuya away from the ice cream stand in which Kouichi had so helpfully abandoned in the middle of his job. Tomoki squared his eyes as he thought about that and how the boss'll have a fit if he ever found out that he left the post but in the end sighed in defeat as he got to getting orders down from customers from the fair. It wasn't like that was his job.

Aoi peered from her booth as she watched a sandy haired girl pull a reluctant dark chocolate haired boy from Kouichi's stand, for a moment she worried that Kouichi would break and spill spoiling the whole plan, it felt like eternity waiting for them to leave. She looked at her watch it read: 1:30, only one and a half hour had passed, this was going to be a long day.

Junpei and Kouji flipped burgers and fried potatoes all day as they scrambled to get their orders in place with children and adults yelling and screaming around them. The fair wasn't as pleasant as Junpei had thought and it took more then just muscles to hold Kouji down from pummeling the crowd with his fists, it didn't take much to flare that famous Minamoto temper of his to life. Thank god that Kouichi was the rational one of the two or else there would've been trouble if there was two of Kouji. What a nightmare that would be. After this he didn't care if Takuya's fate was at stake, he was not going to go through this shit again, Junpei muttered under his breath as he flipped the patty in front of him with a frown pulling at his lips.

"Smile Minamoto!" Junpei heard the chief call out, he looked over at Kouji and saw a death glare flit across his azure eyes as one thought crossed both their minds: _'Takuya... when we get our hands on you! Boy will you be sorry that you dragged us into this crap!' _

They took the carousel and had gotten candy, they even rode the miniature roller coaster that had been set up at the far end of the event. Day turned to night as lights began to flicker on all around them, it was quite a scene to see, children laughing on top of their father's shoulders and squeals of delight as ammo hit target at the game booths. They could see that they were not the only ones out together, Izumi saw many of her classmates with either their boyfriends or their friends out tonight. But she wasn't envious that she wasn't with her friends from school, she had Takuya with her tonight, wasn't that a miracle as it is? She linked her arm with his mindlessly looking around and smiling at the sounds and trinkets of the game machines that was around them. He looked at her but didn't move away when she felt that he didn't she moved closer to him for warmth. He could feel her body heat radiating from her skin as the temperature dropped a little when the sun disappeared behind he mountains. The touch of her skin upon his made him squirm inside with anticipation for tonight, he had everything set up to give her the best night of her life, he couldn't believe that Kouji had actually wanted to help him with his plan. Fate was again ecstatic to hear about the idea. Understatement of the year. They had decided to keep close just because they were nosy and wanted to see what happened, Takuya had protested but it was 4 against 1: majority ruled. They ended up being stationed around the park keeping their beady eyes on them, how childish can they get?

'_Look who's talking.' _The voice inside he's head smirked, but he shut the voice out. Suddenly Izumi pulled forward jerking Takuya front ward towards the ferris wheel that stood miles into the dark sky.

"Let's go on that one." she said with a cute smile that just melted Takuya inside. They waited in line talking about things like school and other random stuff to fill the emptiness that would fill the two when they didn't say anything. It was shocking because before things would be so much easier for them, there was no secrets between them two and they knew each other so well that it wasn't hard to talk about things. Time had faded each of the young teen's minds, and that thought had made Izumi really depressed, but she didn't tell Takuya she didn't want to ruin his night. But Takuya saw the sadness in her green eyes as they dimmed a bit in the light, the twinkle that use to be there disappeared. He took his thumb and fore finger and lifted her chin so their eyes met half way as he smiled down at her with a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry Izumi, all we need is time." She lowered her head, he wrapped two protective arms around her and pulled her close, "All we need is time..."

_'Time... one thing that we don't seem to have.' _She thought to herself as she snuggled closer to him, melting into his warmth.

-----------------------------------

She squirmed under a mysterious weight as she moved away, but the feel was still there. She groggily opened her violet eyes, on top of her stomach was Junpei's head._ 'That freak!' _ She jumped up and his dropped to the soft ground of the hay he stirred a little then turned to face the other side. That's right, after lunch their shift was over so they decided to rest up in the barn with bunch of hay to sleep on. They had a long night to go, she looked around and saw Tomoki fast asleep near some baby sheep, the soft white cotton like animals laid curled in Tomoki's arms. Koji was on top of some hay on the far end of the batch with his twin brother next to him with his arms spread eagle style and belly showing. They looked like they've been through the ringer today, she absentmindedly walked over to Kouichi's opened arms and laid down in them, he wrapped them around her like it was the most natural thing in the world. Being a Guardian of Time she wasn't allowed to fall in love it would only compromise the things they did, the curse that came with being born into a immortal family of Guardians and it sucked because she so wanted to know what it was like to fall in love.

_'Like Takuya and Izumi... even if they don't know it yet... soon they will though.' _ It was the only reason why she became in charge of that department: the Fates. If she couldn't have her happy ending than the most she could do it guide others to theirs and watch over them. _'It's been far too long...' _She thought as her eyes drooped with exhaustion from today's work, Kouichi's warmth vibrating through the both of them. The last words that flit through her mind was only two words: _'I wish...'_

_------------------------------------_

They rose higher and higher into the ebony sky that was decorated with stars, they sat next to each other, shoulder to shoulder looking out the windows. Something had fallen across them when they got onto the ride as the silence grew uncomfortable with each passing minute. An old question ad resurfaced in her head and she had wanted to ask him about it but was to afraid that it would only upset him. She couldn't take it anymore,

"You never answered my question Takuya," she said looking out the window and down upon the little fair of twinkling lights, "From that night, the night you came back. I want to know why." His hand moved over, but she curdled her fingers away from him in protest. He moved back and sat back on the seat with a defeated sigh, "Izumi..." This brought anger bubbling from the pit of her stomach, "Why do you always have to do things alone?" her eyes pierced his as they looked over. He slumped his shoulders and ran his hand through his hair, it was such a turn on when he did that and she couldn't help but notice.

"Because it's my burden to carry. Alone." He emphasized the last word as if it was a cursed word, he pinched the bridge of his nose as if this news was tiring him out. Something wasn't right, she hasn't seen him like this since their days back in the digital world when he would wear himself out so bad that everything hurt, she had stayed by him every night wiping away cold sweat that would collect across his forehead. Kouji was smart enough to pull back when he was done, but Takuya was stubborn, he wouldn't let it go of a fight until he won. He was stupid and hot headed, that was that. She cared for him, always have but he didn't seem to know that she was there for him and that he didn't have to do things all by himself all the time. He had friends he count on, but it seemed that all he wanted to do was put the world's problems on his shoulders so they wouldn't have to bear the pain. Was this it...? The reason he wouldn't say anything, because he was afraid that they would get hurt? That _**she**_ would be hurt? She slid a hand across his abdomen and put her head across his chest that she could hear his heart beat against hers, he buried his head in her hair his fingers finding hers intertwining it together. She finally understood what she had to do to help him.

"I'm sorry. I see now... you're going to tell me when the time's right." She said in a whisper, he let out his last sigh before closing his amber eyes for a moment. He nodded. Yes. Yes, she did understand.


	10. A Parisian Night Out

A/N: Sorry for the two weeks absence... there wasn't internet during my trip to China which totally sucked, I worried that I forgot to tell you guys that I would be gone and I felt bad for just stopping all of a sudden... D: well here I am and chapter 10! I had chapters 11 and 12 done but I reread it and realized it was going to fast so I deleted it.. it'll be up soon though xD.

Chapter 10: A Parisian Night Out

Something vibrated in his pockets as he tried to swat at it but it didn't stop, he groaned as he moved to closer to his source of heat. But the damn thing wouldn't stop. Kouichi cracked open one of his azure blue eyes and fished his fingers into his pockets and pulled out his cell phone with much difficulty as he shut his eyes again.

"Damn it Takuya, you better have a damned good reason to wake me you son of a bitch." he mumbled into the speaker of his black cell phone. He heard some whispering at the other end then a laugh as Takuya's voice rang through, "Wow you really are irritated in the morning... Kouji wasn't lying after all." Kouichi bit his tongue before he said anything else again, he smelled a faint scent of amber rose come across his nose, he sniffed again: Yes it was definitely there. He opened both his eyes this time and came across a sleeping princess in his arms. He nearly screamed like a little girl before covering his mouth with one of his free hands. How in the world did she get there and why is it that his arms are around her all tangled around her sweet smelling hair? He shuddered thanking God that she didn't wake up when he moved.

"Kouichi? You there? Damn it... that bastard. I think he hung up." Takuya's voice sundered through the receiving end, Kouichi narrowed his eyes as he picked up the phone that he had dropped back to his ear.

"What is it?" Kouichi asked looking at Fate with a yearning look, her hair had parted revealing her bare neck that went down to her chest that was planted with two full breasts. Kouichi looked away face red with embarrassment and his breath had been cut down to little short ones. What the hell was wrong with him? Was he out of his damn mind checking her out? Yeah, he concluded, he's definitely gone insane.

"I think it's time." Takuya answered back, Kouichi looked at the clock on his phone: 7:34 p.m. it was time to get things ready for the dinner that Takuya had planned for Izumi.

"Alright, just do what you have to do and be there by 8." Kouichi ordered then hug up with a snap of his phone.

"Guess I'll wake the other's then?" His brother asked from the side stretching his arms apparently awake, Kouichi shrugged shaking Fate gently to wake her up making sure that his eyes wandered anywhere else but her face. Her eyes fluttered open as she got up dazed, eyes half open. She turned to look at Kouichi who smiled at her with a light grin holding out his hand, "It's time Aoi-hime, Takuya and Izumi will be waiting by the lake as promised." Her face tuned a little pink when Kouichi called her princess, no one else called her princess except back at the palace. She took his hand and felt an instant reaction to his strong grip on her hand almost as if she's felt him hold her before. Felt his body against hers, his warm breath slide against her skin as he delicately touched her. She felt a wave of heat rise from her neck and onto her cheeks as she quickly let go afraid that if she held onto his hand any longer she would've surrendered to her emotions. His face turned into a confused one, she bit her lips in protest of looking at him again.

"Come on we have to change..." was all she said before leaving Kouichi in the dust to wonder what he did or said to make her look so upset. His brother looked from afar with worry lines creasing his forehead, _'Oh no... Damn it Kouichi... you're falling for her.'_

------------------------------

Takuya led the fair haired beauty across the fair and out it's doors, he zigzagged around the neighborhood soon Izumi couldn't even hear the sound of the fair anymore as they made their way deeper and deeper into the dwellings of a place unknown. She felt her skin crawl with goose-bumps, it was getting cold and the density of the trees weren't helping. Then she heard a faint sound of what seemed to be running water, but she wasn't sure if it was. They were still running further into the trees, she was getting scared; darkness had made it's way around them and creepy sounds were beginning to make themselves audible.

"Where are we going Takuya?" she finally burst out saying a little breathless from running so much, but the eager dark haired boy didn't stop but just kept on running. She yanked her hand free from him with a little too much force making the her tumble into his arms, she looked up to meet his soft brown gaze in which she melted underneath it's creamy stare. He lowered his head a little so that they were so close that she could feel his breath mingle with hers.

"I know you hate surprises, but I have one last one to show you." he said pulling on a quirky boyish smile that she loved. They parted to Izumi's dismay and returned to walking on into the trees. The sound of running water got louder as they approached what seemed to be lake that was surrounded with trees and candles. "Here we are," he said pulling her the last feet or so into a clearing that was set up with a black table draped with white table cloth and two chairs. Upon the table was decorated with lilac colored candles and two plates and wine cups, it even had a champagne cooler at the table side. Fog had rolled beneath the table, the moonlight shone through the trees giving the area an ominous beauty. What really took her breath away was that behind the tall trees and bushes was the Eiffel Tower standing tall and magnificent against the sparkling lights of a near by town. She looked at Takuya with disbelieved eyes, "How... How did you do this?" she asked stammering with confusion. He took her hands and guided her towards the table seated for two he had that mysterious twinkle in his eyes again as his popped the champagne bottle cork.

"We're under age Takuya," Izumi said as she watched him pour himself and her of the light liquid, he chuckled.

"Don't worry it's cider, like I'm actually gonna give you alcohol." he lightly added as he corked the bottle and looked at her, "This is all props to Aoi, your friend. Her dad had all this in his studio and let us borrow it for the night. The tower isn't as big as you think it is, it's all tech stuff." Just then Junpei and Koji appeared dressed in fancy waiter suits and hair pulled back in their hands were platters of food as they put it before then then pulled the top off revealing spaghetti with meatballs on top. "Buon consumo signora Izumi." Koji said with a bow, Izumi was surprised he knew Italian, "Grazie signore." she replied, she couldn't hold back the giggle as the white uniformed boys pulled away. Then Aoi and Kouichi appeared one holding a cider bottle and one with bread sticks, Izumi looked at them with a strange stare then shook her head.

"You're all in this...? Another one of Takuya's scheming plans?" she asked, Aoi couldn't help but smile showing her brilliant white teeth as she set the bread down.

"It was such a cute idea and I couldn't help myself, he came to me and literally begged me and being an old friend of his I accepted in helping formulate this plan." She explained as she straightened up and facing the two, Kouichi briefly switched the cider bottles and was at Aoi's side again. Izumi looked at Kouichi and saw something change in his eyes as he looked at Aoi, she had a feeling that he had deeper feelings for Aoi then he lets on. But how does everything connect? How did the world turn so small so fast and now everybody seems to know everyone that knew her. Her mind was burning with questions but she held back her tongue knowing full well that it would only spoil the night if she said anything, she just smiled and nodded watching Aoi and Kouichi disappear into the trees leaving her alone with Takuya again. Takuya was devouring the noodles as if he hadn't been fed for days, Izumi forked up her noodles and took a bite. It was delicious, reminded her days back in Italy where the pasta was made fresh daily.

"So, why Paris?" she asked casually playing with her food, Takuya looked up from his plate and frowned, he picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth with it.

"I thought you of all people would know," he said waving his hand at the whole thing in general. Izumi arched an eyebrow, Takuya grinned clearly amused at her moment of slowness, "Izumi, it's Paris: The City of Love. That's why I chose it, I thought it would be romantic you know. Even if I can't really take you to Paris for dinner then let me bring Paris to you. Well actually it was suppose to be Italy but we didn't exactly have the props for it. I hope that it's not too much..." he drifted off taking a sip of cider from his wine cup. Izumi put her hand over his, she was once again speechless at the things Takuya does for her, the measure he takes to make her happy. It wasn't fair, she hadn't done anything to deserve any of this from him all she wished for was to see them again, but she's gotten so much more. Only three words seem to pop out of her mouth as she gave him a warm smile: "Thank you Takuya..."


	11. Part of a Nightmare and half the Truth

A/N: Ok, so this chapter was part of the ones that I needed to change and trust me the other one was: BLEHSAG:LKDSGHD. Though I can say that the other one was quite interesting and this changed one one more 'innocent'... heh I've decided to use the other one for later so enjoy this chapter! Remember to review guys:)

Chapter 11: Part of a Nightmare and half the Truth

_'No... No... NOO!' she screamed on top of a lifeless Takuya, his hazelnut colored eyes glazed over with death. This can't be happening, he just can't be gone, she stroked his hair tears pouring from her eyes and down her cheeks it dripped onto his shirt. A girl stood by agilely looking at a man before her, she resembled Aoi a lot with the dark colored hair and aggressive violet eyes that pierced the soul of any one who dared to anger her, but there was something different about this girl that made her different from Aoi. The man in black in front of them held something fiery in his hand it looked like a ball of fire or something._

_'His soul is mine... you should know the law of equivalent exchange, sister.' he said, his long white hair bellowing out behind him and his black robes shrouded around him like a shadow. He stepped through the white mass of swirling light and disappeared with Takuya's soul, Izumi's breath was caught behind her throat as she watched him disappear she looked up at the girl and saw her jaw lock sideways and a death glare at the place where the man once stood._

_'Damn it... How could you do that brother... even if you are __**Death**_

She woke up with a start her breath was fast and uncontrolled, her sheets was all over the place. That dream... it was so horrible, she clutched at her chest as the dream lingered in her mind. She'd had that dream for awhile now where Takuya laid silently in her arms and that man in black, who was he? The girl had called him **Death**, but how was that possible how can Death appear before her with Takuya's soul? What about the thing that he said something about equivalent something? She can't remember what he had said about being balanced or what not, Izumi tried to rack her brain a little harder to see if she could recall what he had said; it seemed really important but it was no use it only gave her headache. She sighed as she threw her head back and laid against the head board of her bed and looked at the ceiling, last night... was quite a night for her. She had dinner with Takuya under the impression that they were at Paris and her friends had served them spaghetti and Tomoki had played the violin for them. It was cute, she laughed to herself as the memory of last night surfaced into her head. She went through her hair as she got up and slipped into her white bathrobe and headed to her bathroom to clean up, after a moment of cleaning and brushing through stubborn hair Izumi was able to get into some comfortable clothes. She went downstairs to find the place empty, she looked into her parents room and saw that it was clean and desolate of human company known as her mother and father.

"What the hell? Where the hell is everybody?" she went to the kitchen and there on the table was a letter that read:

_Izumi- _

_Left for a business trip with your father to Okinawa, be back in three days, there's food in the fridge and money in the drawer upstairs in my room. Don't throw any wild parties while we're gone ok? Love you honey!_

_-Mom_

She sighed throwing the note aside and grabbed something to eat from the fruit basket only to have the dream she had emerge from her mind again. She shut her eyes in frustration trying to make it go away when a soft wind came from behind her Izumi whirled around and came face to face with the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life with dark brown hair and vigilant plum colored eyes and snow white skin that seemed to glow, but her eyes were filled with sorrow and her soft lips pulled down with sadness.

"I'm so sorry Izumi, but it's for the best." she waved her hand and then it was darkness.

----------------------------

Izumi woke up with a throbbing headache when she felt someone dabbing her forehead with a wet towel, she looked side ways and saw Takuya sitting on the couch and Kouji twisting water out of the cloth, when he saw her awake he smiled.

"So you're finally awake I see," he said lightly dabbing her forehead again, Izumi took his wrist and stopped him and sat up to look at Takuya. Something was really wrong the atmosphere of the room was thick with anger and hatred she peered at the doorway and saw Aoi standing with her head down heavy with guilt. Kouji put the moist doily in the basin stood up and waked to the restroom leaving the three of them in the room.

"What's going on guys?" she asked, her voice hurt just asking the simple question, Takuya shifted his hand from his knees to his mouth.

"How you feeling?" He asked looking at her, for a moment his eyes only showed concern and worry, Izumi smiled and nodded her head, "Do you remember what happened before you fainted." It wasn't a question, it was demand and this scared her; he had never demanded with such a authority with her before.

"I blacked out?" she asked turning to look at Aoi for confirmation, but all she did was look away from her, Takuya nodded in reply. Izumi glanced at the floor board then at Takuya realizing that she can't remember anything but total darkness of her memory; it was like a whole in her brain. He nodded at her again then stood up came over and picked her up with ease and headed upstairs, Aoi heard him close the door lightly then footsteps descending the stairs. He appeared at the doorway of the living room when Kouji stepped out of the restroom knowing that Izumi was gone from the chamber, Takuya didn't wait as he headed straight for Aoi. Kouji was up and gone in a second when he saw what Takuya was going to do.

"Why!?" Takuya demanded his fist flying towards her but Kouji held him back just in time as Fate winced, she didn't even try to stop him because she knew she deserved it after what she had done to Izumi and what she meant to him.

"I had to Takuya, the memory set loose in her dreams are dangerous." she said her eyes staring at the floor never meeting his angry ones.

"How dangerous can one dream be?" he asked still trying to get to her, it took all of Kouji's strength to hold him back, "It's just a dream anyways isn't it?"

"It's just not ANY dream Takuya, her dreams are getting more vivid each time it visits her, soon she'll realize it's the future and if she does find out the truth then she'll set out to change and that will only complicate my job and destroy the system. Humans like you and her aren't suppose have these dreams it'll only kill her soul little by little if she keeps having it and trying to remember. All I can do was keep it at bay for the moment. I never wanted her to get sick Takuya." Aoi explained finally looking at him, and there Takuya saw that she was truly sorry, the tears forming in her eyes were real and the pain deep in heart was there. He relented and Kouji slowly let him go making sure that he didn't go insane again, "She truly loves you Takuya it's the only reason why she's seeing it. Her love was powerful enough that it allowed her to see into a possible future, but the consequences are deadly to pay."

"What is this 'possible future' that she's seeing? So bad that you must eradicate her memory leaving her brain bruised?" he asked her, she shook her head.

"That I can't tell you, only time will tell." she turned and left a very confused and angry Takuya behind and a solemn looking Kouji standing in the living room not knowing that at the stairs a frozen Izumi was sitting on the steps biting her fingers and staring into nothing as what she heard bombarded her world. What was going on she didn't understand, but she knew that somehow Aoi had taken a piece of her memory away from her, something she didn't want her to know about and Takuya was pissed that it had left a bruise in her cerebrum. She touched her head and a shiver shot down her body when she saw Takuya at the foot of the stairs staring with shocked eyes at her. He immediately came up to her and immersed her in his arms and cradled her as if he was going to lose her, she didn't ask anything of him of what she heard, he probably knew by now that she had heard everything that was exchanged between him and Aoi.

"I'm so sorry... that you heard everything. I never wanted this to happen to you. What have I gotten you into Izumi...?" Izumi felt something wet touch her scalp as she realized that he crying, she touched his face gently as if to say that it was ok and kissed him lightly on the cheek and wrapped her arms around his neck giving him a hug.

"I don't care if she took away my memory as long as I still have you and the others is all that matters to me." she whispered into his ear. Somewhere, somehow Kouji had silently slipped away from the two giving them a moment as he disappeared away from her house.

_'It's almost time... Just a little bit longer and I won't have to lie to you two anymore...' _


	12. An Explanation with a Pinch of Passion

A/N: Well you can tell that I also made this story with a KouichixOC and well that part was never planned it just sort of happened on it's own accord maybe because I always felt bad for Kouichi in the series and my mind subconsciously typed it in a fashion that made Kouichi the lucky one... Well after such heated discussion with Takuya I decided it needed a chilling time and Izumi wasn't around so I used Kouichi and Aoi/ Fate. Don't worry I'm not changing the story to Kouichi or anything it's still Takumi [Kouichi and Aoi were more convenient at the time! Ok! On with chapter 12! Remember to review people!

Chapter 12: An Explanation with a pinch of Passion

He brushed his hair away from his eyes and looked out the window, the moonlight sprayed its rays across the room giving it a translucent look. A slight wind escaped through the crack of the window and touched his face and ruffled his hair. The room was dark except for the moonlight shining through as Takuya sat at the window mindlessly looking at the darkened sky that was sprinkled with small specks of light across its vast boundaries. Takuya bit his finger just a little as he dwelled into his thoughts and about a particular person. None of this was suppose to happen, none of it and he was frustrated at what had to happen to Izumi because of a stupid dream. He had been relentless with his questions about her dreams but Fate never cracked under his pondering questions and pressure. His breath fogged a small part of the window panes and with a finger he wrote 8 letters: 'a i sh te ru I zu mi' he then withdrew it and looked at it when he heard a knock and saw Fate standing by his doorway looking at the floor boards beneath her feet, with a hand he wiped away the words and twisted his body so that he was facing her.

"Come in," he said giving her a small smile, she came in and sat across from him the moonlight only enhanced her beauty but it didn't falter Takuya for his heart was already someone else's. The two could've pulled off being twins with the only difference of eye colors as both has dark brown hair and a reckless streak with a stubborn attitude. She looked at straight in the eyes and put a hand on his shoulders before speaking, "I know I said that I wouldn't say anything and that only time will tell... but I feel that you deserve to know what's going especially what I did to Izumi you deserve a full explanation." Fate pulled her hand away and started to fiddle with with her dark curly brown hair. Takuya didn't say anything as he leaned back, his eyes reverted back at looking out the window once more before finding it's way back to Fate's hard look, "I'll take that as a yes that you'll listen to what I have to say then." She said arching an eyebrow at him, he nodded trying not to let her see that he was curious to hear more about her world of 'Fate work' and other confusing stuff; she took a breath and her eyes moved across his room then closed them as if concentrating, "I wasn't suppose to answer your plea back then, three years ago. Remember? You were a mortal and I was a Guardian it wasn't like we could answer to everyone's calls, but somehow I just had to come to your aid. The force of your call was unbelievably strong so I answered and that was when we first met and told me about your situation that lead me to meet Izumi and the rest of your friends. I don't know how our fates are intertwined but it is and it's so mixed matched up together that we can't separate it anymore, all I know is that something happened three years that wasn't suppose to have happen." Takuya gave her a quizzical look too afraid what the answer might be to his question but he asked anyways,

"What wasn't suppose to happen...?" he swallowed hard bracing himself for the result of his question, but not even that prepared him for what Fate's answer was. She looked away so that her long dark lashes covered the look of her eyes but then stared at Takuya so that he froze for a moment surprised at the ferocity of her irises.

"You weren't suppose to have met each other. EVER." Takuya chocked on his spit and coughed, he couldn't believe what he was hearing, "But Ophanimon intervened and threw your fates together, all we could do was hope for your safe return from the digital world. Our jurisdiction only covered your world but not the d-world, though I digress. After that adventure your lives were drastically changed and so was your fates; your souls were now fused with something new that made it that much stronger and desirable to have." Takuya was confused at what she was saying, "What the hell does this have to do with me and Izumi?"

"There are people out looking for your soul and hers along with all your friends, people like my brother." she finally revealed. Takuya's jaw dropped a little.

"You have a brother? Who?" he asked with an incredulous look on his face still letting the news sink in. Fate's face darkened as she looked away and gritted her teeth in frustration, she shook her head.

"You don't need to know his name... but the thing is he's after her through her dreams, draining her until she dies. She saw him in her visions and people like him will stop at nothing to get what they want especially when it comes to soul hunting. Even he knows it's dangerous even fatal for a Guardian to forcefully show him or herself to a mortal, I didn't know he would sink _that _low. I don't exactly know what her dream was except that when I found out I rushed over hoping it wasn't too late because it seemed that she had been having that particular nightmare for quite some time and getting more real each time she sees it. It was my job to erase her memory of it, the memory of ever seeing my brother but I could only keep it at bay as my brother will come back to hunt her down, to finish the job. That's why I told you that this dream was killing her little by little." She looked up at him with saddened eyes, "That's why you you two were never meant to have met, the results of meeting meant death in the end." This time it was Takuya's turn to shake his head,

"Why her first...?"

"More like why you two first," she corrected him, "The dream she had... had you in it. He was hunting you down too... It's because there's an element that resides in both you and Izumi's souls only that makes it more powerful you can say than the others." she explained closing her eyes again and running her hand through her hair with a tired expression.

"What is this element?" he asked with a look of plea and desperation to know, then maybe just maybe he can save Izumi from the worst possible ending, but Fate just sighed patting his knee.

"You already know what it is and it's been there since the day you met her, all you gotta do is admit to it, it is then can you really save yourself and Izumi from being hunted down." she said cryptically getting up, "It's getting late Takuya, get some sleep." she headed towards the door but Takuya stopped her.

"Why are you playing this cloak-and-daggers game with me?" he said quietly his grip on her wrist hardened, Fate turned her head slowly back at him.

"I can't choose your destiny for you, you make your own that's why I can't tell you. You must figure this out by yourself." she answered, she was tired and she was in no mood to argue with Takuya, he let go of her wrist and he just sort of gave up.

"You know that she heard us this morning." he said walking away from her, Fate froze for a moment but then relaxed as she smiled.

"Really... hmm I guess I'm going to have to deal with her questions then won't I?" she tried to play it off cooly but it wasn't working, he crawled onto the bed and laid sprawled on top of it with his hand behind the back of his head.

"Will you tell her what you told me?" he questioned, he knew what the answer was already but he just had to hear it from her.

"I know you know the answer to that one Takuya, but I'll answer it. No, I can't tell her and you know damn well why." with that she walked out his door leaving Takuya staring at the white ceiling before him.

--------------------------------

Fate shut the door behind her quietly afraid she might wake someone, she muffled a small cry that had escaped from her mouth, she shut her eyes and bit her tongue. She hated doing this to him seeing him so pained because he's dealing with Guardian issues, being able to see them was a curse and blessing. When she had granted them the ability to see her kind of people she never told them the downside of it... the curse that came with it. She heard another door click open and she quickly wiped her eyes of the moisture that were revealing itself, a tall, dark haired, azure eyed young man stepped out and just stood there for a moment.

"You ok? Seemed like you got in an argument with Takuya. I apologize for his rash behavior if he said anything..." he asked her, she just turned her head towards the ceiling and laughed a little at his question and comment because nothing in the damn world was ever ok.

"You tell me Kouichi, am I ok?" she asked as her voice cracked and Kouichi had made his way towards her, he gently touched her face with one finger then lifted her chin up a little and looked at her with his soft blue eyes, tears were forming in her once fierce lilac eyes, "I can't seem to do anything right anymore..." she hiccuped, he smiled airily at her.

"I might not know what you do as your job but I think that you're doing a fantastic job of it." Then images began to form in Fate's head, memories of how he use to touch her and kiss her, how he had made love to her in the past, then they were gone. It always happened like that when ever they touched she would see those images. '_What the hell... when and where... did this happen.. _' she could feel her face heating up from the images that had just popped up in her head as the space between them seem to grow smaller each second. She didn't understand what they meant but right now she needed someone to hold her and Kouichi was the closest she's got to another human companion. He softly brushed his lips against her tender pink ones and she didn't object as as he pulled back her hand went through his ebony black hair and the other wrapped around his neck as she kissed him ever so lightly on the lips. His arms wound around her small body, he kissed her back without hesitation. She breezily pushed him towards his closed door, he fumbled with the knob before it opened and the two disappeared behind the darkness of his room. She knew it was wrong, a immortal was never to fraternize with a mortal under any circumstances, but for tonight she wanted to know, needed to know what it was like to be in someone's loving embrace.


	13. Unknown Feelings

A/N: Came up with this while watching Blood +, nothing much to say about this one... well enjoy chapter 13! Review:D

Chapter 13: Unknown Feelings

Rap, rap, rap. Something was hitting against her window, Izumi turned around in her covers and shoved a pillow over her head trying to block out the sound, but it continued it's annoying rapping against her window. She exhaled a breath before throwing off her covers and walking to her window and look out. She squealed, she fell, and she stared at the figure before her.

"Damn it Takuya." She got up and opened up her window and glared out at him with her hands on her hips demanding an answer. He smiled sheepishly at her as he sat on the tree branch, she was in a tank and a pair of pajama pants, her hair was a mess as she glared daggers at her for waking her. Takuya knew that Izumi gets irritated when she's forced to wake up in the middle of the night or when she doesn't get enough sleep in the morning. He wasn't on her good side right now.

"Couldn't sleep, and I know, I'm sorry I woke you up." he said climbing through her window, "Are your parents home?" she sighed scratching her hair a little in irritation then motioned him to sit on her computer chair, she looked at him with annoyed eyes.

"Damn it Takuya, do you KNOW what time it is?" she asked rather crossly at him, "It's two in the god damn morning and you couldn't sleep so you decide to come bother me? Shouldn't this be Kouji's job or something?" he sighed knowing full well that he was gonna get sooner or later, he twirled himself in her chair before getting up and was going to give her hug to apologize but Izumi slapped his hand away and gave him her wrathful eyes.

"Don't think it's that easy to just get on my good side Takuya Kanbara. I'm tired as hell for as you can see that you woke me up 2 in the morning, so I'm going back to bed and we can talk about this in the morning." She walked over to the other side of her room and opened the closet door and pulled down a spare bed with sheets and covers and pointed to it, "Sleep. Now." he walked over and crawled onto the bed, taking his shoes off on the way there.

"Damn you sound like my mother on a good day," he muttered under his breath, she heard and slapped his head before heading back to her bed, "Ow! What the hell was-" but he could hear that she was already fast asleep, he couldn't help but smile at this whole scenario as he pulled the covers over his body and slowly drifted off to sleep knowing that she's there by his side.

--------------------------

Fate's eyes flew open as she woke up and stared at the white curtains, those weren't hers and the room, she wasn't in her room. For a moment she panicked at where she was, when she felt something around her waist and someone breathing lightly on her neck. Her hand moved across the hand that was on her abdomen, it was bigger than hers and it was sort of rough as if from years of work and other things in life. She turned around and saw Kouichi's sleeping form, he moved closer to her trying to escape the sudden chill that had appeared when Fate moved. Her clothes were still on that means they didn't do anything that she would've seriously regretted, she slowly got up trying not to wake him up and conjured up a robe around her shoulders; she looked down at the still sleeping Kouichi and smiled as she touched his cheeks and kissed him on the forehead before heading out. She closed the door and saw Tomoki down the hall stare at her with his evergreen eyes, the tray with a cup of water fall out of his hand with a loud clatter.

"Tomoki, it's not what you think," she began, but it was too late Tomoki ran down the stairs after witnessing Fate come out of Kouichi's room with disheveled hair and mussed up pajamas, "Damn," she rushed after him down the stairs, she could only assume where he was taking himself to and right now she did not need another problem on her hands.

"KOUJI!" Tomoki yelled as he flew down the stairs with Fate on his tail, the black haired teen looked up from his cereal, Junpei stared up too as Tomoki literally tackled down Kouji, he saw Fate slowly walk down the stairs with a down casted eyes. Tomoki's eyes were alive with some kind of spirit as if he had too much sugar to drink.

"You wouldn't believe who I just saw step out of your brother's room Kouji." Tomoki said panting, Kouji just stared up from the ground at the young boy on top of him, he pushed him away, "Man, Tomoki get off will you. What he hell are you talking about?" Fate leaned against the wooden beam of the kitchen door way, brushing a stand of stray hair away from her eyes.

"Tomoki. Junpei. Can you give us a moment." she asked with a sense of authority that Junpei understood without questioning, he stood up and put his bowl in the sink.

"Come on Tomoki let's go." he said motioning him to follow, Tomoki sulked then followed after him. Kouji stood up and faced her who was looking out the transparent door way that lead to the backyard. He crossed his hand over his chest and scoffed at her,

"I assume this is about Kouichi isn't it?" Fate threw her head a little in the sun direction before answering him, she then just inhaled a breath her face never leaving the garden side.

"Kouji, don't assume things you don't know." she said casually touching the glass with her fingers leaving streaks behind, "Yes. I do feel obligated that I should tell you, we didn't do anything if that's what you mean though. It wouldn't be allowed even if I wanted to, It's not as easy as you think being a Guardian, I mean as a mortal you have free choice to feel whatever you want but people like me don't know what's it like to choose." Kouji didn't move and just stood rigid as he listened, "Because for once I wanted to believe that I had chance, your brother showed signs that he was willing to anyways I just took advantage of it. All I wanted was his company... I hope you understand that." she said still staring out towards the garden. Kouji sighed picked up his bowl and threw it in the sink then looked back at her with a small smile.

"Just don't hurt him, 'mortals' like us get hurt easily, you can say having emotions tends to weaken us a little, but sometimes those feelings can come n handy though." Fate stared after him quite shocked at his answer, she was expecting something more. Kouichi came down rubbing the sleep out of his eyes when he saw Fate and Kouji in the kitchen.

"Hey guys, what's up?" They just gave him a smile and retreated back to what they were doing, Fate looked out the window once more and saw a white dove fly into the cloudless sky then back at Kouichi who had slumped over the kitchen table in a sleep state.

"I think I'll take the risks," she smiled.

----------------------------

Izumi woke up to the smell of food, _'Hmm, what the heck...' _she got up and put on a jacket and went downstairs to the kitchen, she witnessed Takuya making eggs and bacon. Oh she had forgotten that he had come over last night, or might say this morning and had slept over. With sleep still in her eyes she walked the rest of the way down and into the kitchen.

"Mm, Takuya... what are you doing?" she asked stifling a yawn and pouring herself a cup of hot water to drink.

"Oh, your up. Didn't hear you there." he flipped the egg and Izumi took a drink of her water and she rolled her eyes.

"You can't really hear anything through that thick head of yours..." she murmured under her breath, he looked her her with narrowed eyes but didn't say anything. The morning was still young and the two sat down for a nice breakfast that he had prepared, neither had said anything as they took in the food.

"Thanks for letting me stay last night," he said flashing her his pearly whites, "The place I was currently staying at was a bit..." he trailed off as he tried to think of a word, but she just laughed.

"It's ok, you don't have to explain yourself. I know what you mean. So, what do you want do today? My parents are out for three days." Izumi said standing up and collecting the plates and chopsticks to be put in the dish washer. Takuya tipped his chair and thought for a moment, _'A whole day with Izumi huh? That wouldn't be a bad idea that way I could keep an eye on her...' _He hadn't plan on telling her anything that he had discussed with Fate last night.

"How bout this, let me take you out today and I'll let you do whatever you want." he suggested, she turned around and looked at the boy in front of her with her green eyes a dish still in her hand.

"Um, is that a good idea?" she asked uneasily putting the dish away with the other plates, what is wrong with her, spending time with Takuya was the least of her issues but it was her feelings if she kept it up she wouldn't be able to hold it in any longer than she could. It was taking all she could to keep it in, she didn't want to sound all fluff but loving someone was harder than she had thought especially when it's loving someone that she knew will never love her back because... it has always been like that. It took three years to rid her feelings for Takuya but it never meant that she didn't want to see him, she just never knew that seeing him would make all her old feelings for him to resurface. All she had to do was wait, waited until the feelings disappear that way she can move on again.


	14. Confusion

A/N: Ah Well my sleeping habits are a little backwards right now but that's ok! It's not stopping me from doing the things that I need to do! Chapter 13! GENPAI!

Chapter 14: Confusion

The wind was slightly warm, the pair walked side by side wandering the streets of Kyushu. Takuya had promised her that they would do anything that she had liked but first he had to go and change first so Izumi lent Takuya her father's jacket to keep him warm until they got to the place where he was currently staying. She had changed into a pale pink peasant skirt and white tank and was looking around her surroundings, she had never been to this side of Kyushu before. She parted her hair from her eyes as the wind blew a little harder when she felt Takuya put his arm around her, she looked up at him and saw him grinning down at her she just made a face then looked away, "Thanks," she muttered and continued to walk. The place they were at was quiet and calm the trees rustled sweet tunes when the breeze swept by, Izumi relaxed under his touch and leaned closer for comfort, it wouldn't hurt anyways... it's not like it meant anything to the both of them.

"Takuya, the other day when I over heard... how'd she do it?" she asked, she's been wondering for quite a while now, she had tried to remember what she had lost but couldn't recall what it was, she raised her fingers against the blaring sun and squinted in the sunlight, she felt Takuya's grip tighten and looked over, his eyes were hard for a moment then looked up at the sky with his eyes closed.

"I don't know really," he lied bringing her closer to him, "But I'm sorry that it happened Izumi, I really am." She didn't understand why it was so important for him to apologize so much, ok yes she should be more panicky about the whole memory thing but she just wasn't, she rapped him on the head.

"Ow! Hey what was that for?" he asked rubbing his head, "What is up with you and hitting me?" she shrugged and walked on.

"Seems like you're fine to me so stop apologizing already it's getting annoying." she said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, Takuya made a face.

"I was trying to be nice and sympathetic." he growled and sticking out his tongue at her. She made a sound at him and laughed, "How immature, you haven't grown since the last time we saw each other." she made an evil looking face at him. He puffed his face in retort, "And you call me the stubborn one." she fanned a hand in her face and laughed again.

"I don't need your sympathy Takuya Kanbara I get enough of it from my mother," she put her hand on her hips and started walking again, " Come on, are we there yet?" Takuya wanted to rip his head out, sometimes even he wonders about his taste in girls.

"Coming, coming." he got up and started right behind Izumi, "Jesus, wait up will you!" she turned around and grinned at him with a wave.

"Come on slowpoke!"

They stood before a magnificent house resembling the victorian style of the 19th century look, it wasn't too big nor quite too small. Izumi blocked her eyes from the sun to get a better look at the house before her. Takuya stood next to her with a blank face looking at the house, when he walked up the pebbled floor and up the front steps and opened the front door with the twist of the knob. She ran after him, 'Always the impatient one.' she shook her head entering the grand house. Inside took her breath away, it was beautiful. Words wouldn't be able to describe the whole thing, the floor was made of a deep red wood and the banister was polished that it shone in the sunlight that had made it's way through the curtains. She walked around when Takuya disappeared up the stairs to his room probably to change, made her way to the dining area. This was like stepping through time, everything in the house spoke of something timeless and old... a very comforting feel to it. She was disrupted by the sounds of foot steps from the other room. A goddess stepped out before her with flowing dark brown hair and shimmering violet eyes and hand in hand with a just woken up Kouichi. Both their eyes grew big as they let their hands go and Izumi felt like she had just intruded upon a sacred moment or something, she turned around red in the face with embarrassment and was about to go when the girl spoke.

"Izumi." that voice... she picked up her head and slowly turned around to face the two, that voice belonged to the one and only Aoi that she had known since the beginning of high school.

"Aoi?" she asked timidly, even if she had looked graceful, there was a superior air about this lady before her, the girl nodded her head with a her brows furrowed in concern. Now things were getting quite confusing, what the hell was going on? What is Kouichi doing here hand in hand with her best friend whom seemed to have changed dramatically in a few days? Just then Junpei and Tomoki walked in chatting lively with a bowl in popcorn in Tomoki's hand, they stopped rigid when they saw Izumi in the dinning room with Aoi and Kouichi. Oh great now it's just the the chosen ones convention, Izumi's head was spinning with questions as she looked back at Tomoki to Junpei then to Aoi and Kouichi.

"What's taking so long for you guys to bring in a bowl of popcorn?" asked an irritated voice, and in walks Kouji in a pair of black straight jeans and a t-shirt when he stopped cold at the sight of Izumi, his eyes grew big for awhile as he looked at Aoi for an answer. None of it made sense on how everybody knew each other and why they had all ended up under one roof, so many things were buzzing in her head that she was thinking too hard. _'Crack!' _That was it for Izumi as she tumbled to the floor in a confused state. They all looked down and smiled sheepishly, man was Takuya going to kill them for this.

"Guess it was a bit much for her huh?" joked Junpei, Aoi just glared at him and he quieted immediately. Takuya came down dressed in jeans with a printed t-shirt under a jacket when he saw Fate pulling Izumi up from the floor, everybody was in the room. They saw him come into the room and parted for him to reach Izumi, the girl's eyes looked infuriated at this situation in which she was put under. He grinned trying to make it all seem like a joke, "Guess you want me to explain huh?"

-----------------------------------

"Oh I see," she said picking at her skirt, she was looking down trying to absorb everything in, so Takuya's parents knew Aoi's parents way back in the days and when Takuya had decided firmly to want to see Izumi, Aoi's parents had agreed to let him stay and because the house was big enough Takuya had asked Aoi of a favor in bringing along some friends. That was just the summary, the details she spared her mind from frying again. She nodded, "Ok, I get it." Takuya and Aoi breathed a sigh of relief, _'Yu ka ta... She bought the story.'_ Izumi looked at the group before her and saw that Aoi was sitting particularly close to Kouichi and that Kouji was watching them like a hawk. She chuckled then took in a breath, "Well, me and Takuya were about to go out, you guys want to join? It's been awhile since we all hung out as a group." she smiled simply, then it would be like the old days again. She could feel the happiness bubble from inside of her when she saw the others agreed whole heartedly, Takuya looked over at her and smiled a satisfied grin that she was happy. He touched her hair lightly and she looked at him, he leaned in and spoke five words into her ears: "I'm glad that you're happy." Her cheeks colored pink and looked amused at his comment. Takuya and the others went upstairs to prepare things and Izumi sat downstairs and waited when Aoi came downstairs and sat next to her, they were silent for a moment when Izumi couldn't take it anymore and blurted out the question that had been bothering her.

"Why did you do it and how?" Aoi sighed with a smile, she knew the question was going to come sooner or later. She leaned against the couch and looked up at the swirling fan above her closed one of her eyes.

"There was a particular dream that was weakening your body, slowly killing you from the inside out," she explained, "When I found out I just couldn't sit there and let it kill you so I took action. There's a skill that has been passed down through generations in my family, it's called memory suppression. Theoretically we can erase memory but it's more like suppressing dreams, it's still there but it's being locked up. The dream that you had was one that took tremendous power and my family don't usually use such powerful techniques because it can seriously injure the person that is being used on. In your case, your brain was bruised when I locked up your nightmare. I'm really sorry Izumi, I never meant for you to get even more sick, it was all I can do to save you." She felt a hand over hers and she looked at the sandy haired girl who was smiling at her.

"I knew you there was something about you the first time we met, but don't sweat over the little things you saved my life and for that I'm in your debt." Aoi casted down her eyes, _'No it's me that in debt to you for the things that's going to happen...' _then back at the smiling Izumi before her.

"So you're not weirded out by any of this?" she asked quite surprised. Izumi threw her head back in laughter then gave Aoi a wink.

"You can say that I've been in weirder situations that has made me a believer in many things that don't seem possible," then Izumi perked up, "Oh yeah I was going to ask you, what's up with the thing between you and Kouichi and don't say nothing because it's obvious that there is." at that statement Aoi felt her face turn beet red, Izumi saw and slithered her way up to her with a sly grin, "Oh...! Do tell." Aoi flicked her head the other way with a pout.

"What about you and Takuya, heard you shared some history with him. I know he wasn't in his room last night so I could only _imagine _where he went to." she countered, Izumi wasn't going to give up that easily with a haste reply she answered, "Loving a tight wad like him would only mean constant heartbreak." She jumped Aoi who squealed and moved to the other side of the couch, her ears perked at the last part.

"So you don't love him then," Izumi stopped short and looked at her hands in her lap.

"I never said that, I did, once upon a time when I thought everything would end with a 'happily ever after'. It took me three years to rid my feelings for him but when he unexpectedly came back so did the feelings. But I've learned that I can't fall for people like him." she said pulling up her knees to her face, Aoi was devastated to hear the answer.

"Why?! Why can't you love a person like Takyua? He's funny, athletic, cute, has a nice body, eats healthy."

Izumi rolled her eyes, "Looks like somebody did their homework," she felt a ping of jealousy towards Aoi, she knew so much about this 'older' Takuya than she did, "Because Aoi, I can't wait forever for him. Ever time he disappears who knows when he comes back, maybe even never." Fate wanted to smack some sense into both of them, how could they be so oblivious to each other's feelings and right now when they're both finally able to see each other again? She wanted to scream it out for them, but because of the rules she couldn't all she could do was guide them and watch from the sidelines. Before she got up she looked at Izumi, "You'll be amazed what can happen in a blink of an eye." and left to get her shoes, Izumi just stared after Aoi not understanding the comment.

_Yu ka ta: Thank God_


	15. Déjeuner and a little Surprising News

A/N: Whew! Fianlly up and done with this one.. took awhile cause I didn't know what to write about after I finished the beginning of the story but then a friend came and sent me and email with French in it and BOOM! There I have it. Amazing where inspiration comes from. Ok! Chapter 15 is up! Enjoy! Remember to review[Thank you Gold Dragon for always reviewing and keeping me motivated!

Chapter 15: Déjeuner and a little Surprising News

_'You'll be amazed at what can happen in a blink of an eye...'_

What did she mean by that? She didn't understand it... what would happen in a blink of an eye, this frustrated her. She hated it when people toyed with her, it wasn't fun when someone knew something about her that she didn't know about. It was like not fully understanding yourself.

"Izumi... Izumi!" Kouichi called out harder the second he said her name, Izumi snapped out of her stupor of daydreaming and refocused her attention at the scene that lie behind the window that she sat in front of. Cars whizzed by and people walked around free of annoying and cryptic riddles, life moved on as if nothing happened that way they can go on living their lives not really knowing what's out there. If only her life was like that... _'It was... before __**he **__entered your life again... thanks to him everything changed.'_ Her mind was spinning ridiculous ideas around again and somehow she couldn't make her mind stop. _'Is it because it's the truth..? But you're just too afraid to admit to it?'_ Her free thoughts were really getting to her, thinking on its own accord, she really needed to get ahold of her wandering thinking. Aoi knew something more than she was letting on... as if she knew part of Izumi's life that she was never told about or something and it was nagging in her brain that she should ask, but she knew that the only reply she would get is more riddles and right now one was all she can take. Plus what was with the new get up anyways? She looked hot, even like a goddess, Izumi couldn't help but feel envious of her best friend, but apparently only Kouichi took notice of her all aspiring beauty that could've out-shined the sun any day. Was it all a show for Kouichi? Or was it another one of those secrets that Aoi had kept from her? Izumi wouldn't be surprised that that was her natural look and that she had been hiding it from her. Izumi could only guess that she had good reasons why she would do that, it should be a crime for a normal person to look that beautiful, but then again Aoi wasn't normal and that didn't really surprise her either because from the start she had felt that Aoi was a little different from everyone else maybe it was that reason they became such good friends so quickly was because each one had a secret knowing that they're different to the people around them. Strange how Fate likes to play things around, sometimes maybe Fate wasn't so bad. Izumi felt a shake on her arm, Tomoki was trying to get her attention.

"Izumi. You're daydreaming again, come on you haven't even touched your food yet!" he said smiling at her with his toothy smile. He may have grown up, but inside he's still the same young boy that Izumi met three years ago on the train platform. As always the concerned one, he looked out for the older ones when they lost their way like a mini guardian angel of some sort. He'd always be able to calm Takuya's ever exploding temper and quiet the twins down when they start arguing, over all Tomoki might as well be the most mature out of them all. She looked down at the mac and ham in soup that was presented before and sure enough she hadn't touched her food since it arrived, she didn't even know that it was already served to her. She picked up her fork and began to play with her food, they had gone out for lunch that afternoon to a small quaint cafe in town that Izumi had heard about and had always wanted to try it but never found the time to. It was the first stop she wanted to come to next to all the other things that they were going to do later in the day. As she lingered around her thoughts Izumi's fork hit the soup of her mac and ham a bit too hard and in result soup droplets splattered all over her face. She blinked once, then twice before she felt a semi most towel on her face, the boy sitting diagonal from her sat smiling while wiping away the liquid from the young blonde's surface. His eyes concentrating on her and his fingers slowly gliding their way down her cheek lines she felt her face burn alive with color. Too bad he took notice and looked at her with his smoldering bronze colored eyes that made her body react in ways she did not want it to. His lips pulled into a smug smile as a hint of desire swept through his amorous stare knowing full well how she was feeling at the moment and she felt a slip of lust seep through her blood. _'No!'_ She thought rebelliously against the temptation that was presented before her, she can't and she won't! How could she have such dirty thoughts, she was appalled at herself for even thinking over the idea. She can't regard Takuya that way, it would be wrong and didn't she just tell herself to lay off? Proves just how strong her will is, _'Damn hormones.' _It sucked being 17 and with much reasons. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't. She wants him and she knew that, but the consequences of loving someone like Takuya... was just too much for her to handle, she didn't know of her heart can take so much heartbreaks. He put down the partly wet cloth, his eyes never leaving hers, "Ok, all done," he said breezily, his breath fanning across her face making her heart trip-hammering. Aoi watched from across the table and giggled at the lustrous look within both her friend's eyes, sexy as those two might be they at least had some control over their ever raging hormones that was ripping through their bodies. _'Ahh, the hilarity of pubery!' _she thought to herself.

"They might have control, but I can't believe they're so unaware of each other's affections. It's literally pouring over the rim." She said to no one in particular and taking a sip of her Empress green tea.

"That's Takuya for you, oblivious as a boulder." Kouji added putting a honey dew sphere in his mouth and munching on it with a satisfied look in his azure eyes.

"Brother!" Kouichi chided taking in a spoonful of Frenvh vanilla ice cream, his twin just shrugged it off.

"What? It's true, being his best friend for the last 4 years I would certainly know and I thought by this time you would understand his 'bird-brainedness'. As witnessed to the way he is totally ignorant at how girls actually fall for him, even if he's not Mr. Popular... asides from the fact that he's the soccer team's captain." Kouji said poking his toothpick into a kiwi slice and jamming it into his mouth and swallowing it after a few bites. The three just sighed and watched the scene unfold before them, like a trio of old geezers watching a drama unfurl it's tangled web of leaves. Izumi felt pestering stares from across the table and felt it necessary to turn around only to find three pairs of eyes stare back with much intensity as if very interested in what the two were doing at their precise intimate moment. Unknowingly she looked away embarrassed that they had witnessed her staring at Takuya with such thirst and lasciviousness in her eyes that her face turned scarlet due to the mix of mortification and aggravation. Aoi, Kouji, and Kouichi laughed at her repercussion of an answer which made Junpei, Tomoki and Takuya all look at them with confused looks, not knowing what was going on. Not fully understanding the situation the other two, Junpei and Tomoki was spared from the knowledge that was being shared between the three. Takuya catching on after seeing Izumi's face laughed out loud which made Izumi glare at him with utmost hatred at the moment. How could they all be laughing at her! They've just ruined a very intimate moment she was having with him! _'How could they be so cruel?!' _Izumi squeezed her eyes then sighed, there was no use sulking around. Aoi had always fancied laughing at her humiliation because she found it extremely funny the way she handles her herself when situations included men.

"Oh, my little soupirant! I didn't mean to laugh at you!" he said taking her hands and comforting her, "It's just so cute the way you reacted just because they caught you off guard for a moment." She took her hand back and leaned in her chair with a pout, "It's not that funny. I'm leaving." she suddenly got up, picked up her stuff and headed for the door, seeing this Aoi grabbed a bill and left it on the table paying for the food. The others looked around and followed suit even though they don't know why they were leaving so suddenly, once out the door Izumi sped walked across the street with Takuya running behind her and yelling her name. Aoi told the waitress to keep the change and ran outside to see Takuya running across the street after Izumi, then the lights turned red forbidding the rest to follow until the next light. He caught her wrist and whirled her around to face him, her face was twisted with anger and sadness, he had never seen her blow things to this kind of proportions before especially over little things like being caught off guard.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" He said not letting go as she tried to force her way out of his iron grip, she looked at him with her burning eyes.

"What's wrong Takuya? You may not care that you tell the world of your feelings, but those moments like that are private and mine. You just laughed it off like it was nothing because maybe it was nothing to you but it's still something to me!" she gasped and covered her mouth, she couldn't believe that she had just said that. He looked her with shocked eyes, so that was what she was upset about. He pulled her into a hug and she squirmed to get away from him, he had just hurt her pride and soul he didn't deserve to be forgiven so fast.

"I never said that, I love it when you give me attention like that, at least I know you're interested." she punched him in the chest and he laughed, "Ok, I'm sorry too early for jokes... anyways I appreciate those moments as much as the next person does but we can't stop it from getting out, eventually they'll know. Plus I told you I wasn't laughing it off, it was your reaction it was as if looking at me was an offense or something! So I'm the victim here." she looked at him and her face was stained with different hues of pink, "So I'm sorry ok?" he looked at her and she nodded sheepishly in response. He smiled and took her hand, from the car people would've assumed that they were just young lovers but if they looked closer and into their hearts they would've seen that they were so much more, they've dwelled into a place where not even words can't describe it.


	16. From Dark clouds to Cloud 9

Chapter 16: From Dark clouds to Cloud 9

The wind was quiet and the city was asleep, the stars sparkled above without a sound. Izumi was sleeping soundly at the other end of the town and Fate and the others were fast asleep at the opposite side, nothing was out of the ordinary and it seemed like any other night. Fate twisted her body and wrapped her arms around the guy next to her that was sleeping like a baby who shifted to allow her to share his warmth, Kouichi buried himself deeper into the blankets and intertwined his fingers with hers, he felt a small smile form on his lips as he heard a sigh of satisfaction from behind and a small movement of her body nearing his. But not far from where they were in the middle of the silent city of Kyushu a man draped in black appeared with snow white hair bellowing behind him, he casted his eyes down upon the pitiful city of the mortals and laughed his merciless laughter before throwing his hands out and sending news that he has arrived to any Guardians or shinigamis that were around. His lips curled into an evil smile showing his glowing sharp teeth, "Oh dear sister, I've come to get what's rightfully mine." and he cackled into the quiet skies of Kyushu.

Fate jerked awake from a sudden chilling feeling that shot into the marrow of her bones, this feeling she knew, it was familiar but it couldn't be... what the hell was he doing here at a time like this? To Fate there was only one answer to why her brother had shown up after all these centuries, he had found a way to get to either Takuya's or Izumi's souls without getting in trouble of messing with a mortal's life span. He had some how gotten around the rules that applied to the system for all Guardians. But it's not like brother had always followed the rules anyways, that's how he ended being in charge of the Death department having all shinigamis under his control. She had to work fast then, hoping that he hadn't figured out where they lived, Takuya was safe under her roof for father: Lord Jikoku would never let anything happen to his guests especially when it came to brother, but Izumi was a different story. She was alone without her parents, in a house all by herself, even with her parents they didn't stand a chance against an immortal's power. She had to work fast to get Izumi into safety before it's too late! The sky was still dark but she could see that the sun was breaking through the mountains making the skies turn different hues of pink and purple from the window in Kouichi's room. She'd move to sleeping with Kouichi every night instead of her own bed for it seemed it lacked company in her big desolate room all by herself. Kouji had resented the idea at first but finally gave into it, he was the younger of the twin anyways so it Kouichi had seniority over his life, but Kouichi lacked courage and a sense of leadership so most times many mistaken Kouji as the older one but it didn't matter to Fate, he was learning to be a good nii-san to Kouji and that is all that mattered to her. She closed her eyes and wondered where her brother could be, his presence was gone from the air and so she assumed that he had gone back for the time being, knowing her brother it would take a few days for him to make the first move so that gave her a set time to get Izumi to safety. She sighed and her eyes slowly closed like two heavy metal plates as she curled closer to him, something big was going to go down soon.

Breakfast was silent with Kouji at one end of the table and Fate at the other, Tomoki was already at the sink washing his dishes, the others weren't awake yet and so it was a quiet morning. Kouji had sensed something was off about her this morning she'd usually be bouncing-off-the-walls happy and smiling at everyone but today she was staring at her food like it was alive or something and he'd known Fate long enough to understand that something was wrong. He'd been the one she confided in the first time Takuya introduced them, he'd been her safe box of secrets since the beginning of the whole thing. He probably knew Fate better than anyone in the house even his brother who has been spending a lot of time with her lately which he didn't mind anymore as he had to get use to them being together under one roof. He knew everything about Takuya's and Izumi's situation and how their lives were at stake just because that fool was willing to give up everything in order to be with her, he sure took his sweet time realizing what he was doing when he left her three years ago. Only if he'd figured it out sooner about those feelings that's been cooped inside of his heart the whole time then none of this would've happened, Kouji went through hell when they got back home, Takuya would call at the most ridiculous times at night to complain about things that he's regretted doing, but mostly it was about how he'd regretted not telling Izumi about his feelings. Kouji didn't say anything as Tomoki left the kitchen in search of something to do, then he put his spoon down and looked at Fate straight in the eyes, her eyes looked weary and tired.

"What's wrong?" he asked, "Don't even try to hide it from me, you know me. You confided in me in the beginning." She mumbled something under her breath then stopped playing with her food.

"Kouji, this might even be too big for you to handle," she said trying not to hide her insecurities about the upcoming news, he took her hand in his.

"Try me," she looked away clearly troubled by something, he gave her hand a squeeze to let her know that whatever it was, he'll be there for her. Finally shutting her eyes she let a breath out and hissed, "Brother's back." Kouji's jaw tightened and his hand gripped hers a bit too hard that she winced and tried to pull back but he was too shocked from the news to let her hand go. He knew about her brother, it took some time but eventually Fate told her about her brother, how he had destroyed everything in her world and had manipulated her into killing an innocent child, that memory still haunted Fate even after decades of happening. He was then banished by Lord Jikoku to the Underworld where Shinigamis resided and made him the charge there, he was forbidden to come to the real world unless it was of business or great importance. He was everything Kouji detested.

"Kouji, my hand..." she whispered trying to tug it away when Kouichi came downstairs and saw the two of them holding hands, Kouji and Fate immediately let go but not before seeing the hurt in his brother's eyes, Fate stood up and tried to explain but Kouichi stopped her.

"I knew it I just didn't want to believe it because for once I wanted to believe that someone actually liked me." Kouichi shook his head then looked at his bother who looked totally defeated, he hadn't meant to hold her hand that long, "Why brother?" with a turn of his body he went back upstairs and the two could hear the door slam from above that made Fate cringe. She felt hot tears welling up in her eyes as she sat down on the chair, it hurt to see him like that but she'd never felt this way about a mortal before. _'What is this feeling...' _her heart felt like imploding on itself as she let tears spill from her purple eyes, Kouji went over and gave her a hug, "I'm so sorry Fate, I never meant to get between you and nii-san... It's just that the mention of your brother made my blood boil." She shook her head and wiped away her tears, right now wasn't the time to waste her time crying, she'll fix this the moment she figured a way to save Takuya and Izumi from a fated death at the hands of her brother. She managed a smile at Kouji and stood up, "Oh this is so cliche, I've watched too many humans break up due to misunderstandings like this, don't worry I can fix it." she said simply, Kouji looked at her as she busied herself with washing the dishes.

"I know you can... you love him too much to let him go anyways." he murmured with a breath and a smile.

-----------------------------

Izumi woke up with her hips sore and her body aching for a massage, something clearly happened last night that had ended up with her body feeling like it'd been though an intense work out session or a truck had hit it full on when she realized that she was buck naked under the sheets. She panicked, what the hell was going on? Where were her clothes? Why is she naked? She tried hard to recap what happened last night, she retraced her memory back to lunch, after that they'd gone out for a movie then just went shopping after Takuya, her, Aoi, Kouji, Kouichi, and Junpei hit up a night club later that evening leaving Tomoki at home because he was too young, all she remembered was leaving the club with Takuya... then the rest was history. Oh god what has she done? She turned over to find a lump on her opposite side, she poked at it and it grunted in response. Then she let it rip, she screamed her lungs out and a chocolate haired boy jolted from her sheets and started yelling like it was the end of the world or something. She pulled up her blankets so that it covered her chest and looked at Takuya and kept screaming, he looked at her and blinked a few times before covering his ears.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked as she calmed down but her breath still in little short ones, her eyes big like fishes. She gave him a look of 'what-are-you-an-idiot' stare before motioning her fingers at the two of them naked in her room, under her sheets.

"Oh God... don't tell me.." he looked at her with his brows furrowed with worry, he doesn't seem to remember much of last night after they got into the club, he combed his fingers through his messy dark brown hair and sighed, "Shit."

"Shit? More like holy shit!" she cried as she jumped from her bed with the sheets around her body looking for her clothes, her legs wobbled a bit and she fell to the floor. Takuya moved to the edge of the bed and looked down at the heap of skin on the ground.

"Man, we must've had a wild party last night." he smirked, she gave him a glare before picking herself up and heading towards the bathroom.

"I'm taking a hot shower and try to clean myself," she said picking out clothes from the table drawers, she looked at him before she went in, "If I get pregnant I swear I will personally kill you with my bare hands." with that she shut the door leaving a indifferent Takuya on the bed.


	17. Bliss & a Half

A/N: So this is a very long chapter on my opinion, I had to rewrite it three times before I was some what happy about it, I've revised some of the chapters but it's not that big of changes that makes the chapter any different than before. This chapter might as well be the most changed out of all the other ones I've fixed so far. I read so much lemon that my eyes hurt... and learned new things that I never knew before... T.T. I would really appreciate it if you guys reviewed! I want your opinions and comments! You know how much I like reviews xD

Chapter 17: Bliss 1/2

She came out of the shower with her hair still wet and plastering against her dry skin with a towel wrapped around her pale skin. Takuya gaped at her before looking away from her flushing in the face.

"God, will you put on some clothes?" he asked clearly disturbed by the image of her being nearly naked in front of a guy and it seemed that Izumi was unfazed by this situation, she rolled her eyes as she flipped through her clothes and finding none she liked she went over her other drawers.

"It's not like you haven't seen it all already, it's what..? Twice already that you've seen me naked?" Don't be such a prude." she said throwing out clothes from her drawer and looking at herself in the mirror with them.

"It's not like I remember what I saw last night!" he said defending himself, "Must've been the drinks. Mom always said not to drink stuff from club bars, never believed her till now." she turned around and looked at him, his taut skin stretched over well toned muscles from many summers of soccer practice and weight training had done him well over the years she hadn't seen him, but too bad he was so innocent in the head!

"You're such a mama's boy Takuya." she said amusingly, a shade of pink crept across his face and he folded his arm across his chest in defeat of the verbal battle. Her long pale arms dug through her clothes as she muttered to herself about the limitedness of her clothing and the way it's connected to her back. The way the muscles were working it's way around her small back that arched down through her towel, he could just see the start of her breast as it disappeared beneath the white cloth that covered her body. He looked away flustered and hot as the thoughts poked through his mind. _'No! ACK! No! How disgusting... no way!' _He mentally scolded himself for looking at her like that, Izumi turned around and saw Takuya's eyes shut and shaking his head. She let her eyes wander around his body, it was long and lean and she could see his wiry muscles under his tanned skin, she tried not to make it noticeable that she was looking at his pectoral muscles that was visible at the angle he was standing in. His arms smoothly worked it's way around the belt that he was putting on and how swift he was, how could she have missed this crucial point? She was attracted to him. Izumi was never a person that denied her bodily needs as it was part of life and nature for a hormonal teenage to be attracted to the opposite sex. She gasped a little as she felt her body being roused by his mere appearance and turned away quickly as Takuya turned around at the sound of her gasp and came over to check if she was ok.

"You ok?" he asked her touching her arm slightly that made her jump from her skin as his touch sent electric currents through her body. Her thoughts were scattered and her body was wanting him, a male companion, an opposite sexed organism. He wrapped his arm around hers which made her hormones shoot into overdrive and she shut her eyes and took in long gulps of air as she felt his body nearing hers. He bent over and looked at her red face and wondered what was causing her to react like this, she was breathing hard and she was kinda flushed looking.

"Are you sure you're ok, you look kind of out of it." he said oblivious to the situation that she was in, _'GOD Takuya! Can you be that blind and freaking oblivious?' _She thought furiously at him trying to push him away so she could breathe but that made him come closer even more which made her gag with lust. His other arm was around her waist as he steered her towards the window seat. _'Oh. My. God!' _Her mind was going into malfunction screaming at her to stop him before she did anything that she might regret.

"Takuya! Stop!" she said angrily pulling her arms away from him, but it was too quick and there was a scream then there was a thud and then there was silence. She looked up at him with her green eyes filled with angry tears sliding down her face at the moment and him staring blankly at her. They were both breathing hard and uncontrolled, he on top of her and her underneath his warm pulsing body, finally he understood as he looked into her eyes, she was attracted to him simple as that. He wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb and chuckled at her and gave her a smile that made her look the other way.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" he asked touching her cheeks and laughing, she twitched her head so he would stop then looked at him for a second before turning away again embarrassed.

"Because..." she said turning red a little, " I didn't think that you were actually that stupid not to notice." Ouch. A hit to his ego and pride, a low blow for him. Izumi: one, Takuya: zero.

"Ok, maybe I deserved that." he said looking away from her pissed and disappointed in his obliviousness, then he felt a soft touch on his chest as he saw Izumi touch his scars that he had gotten from previous fights they had back in the digital world. He softly pushed back some her hair from her face and looked at her with a new light in his mind, she was definitely beautiful with creamy skin and soft glowing green eyes. Why hadn't he noticed this before...? Where had he been the whole time? This thought made him think back about what Fate had said about Izumi loving him and because of that she was dying inside all for him. He unexpectedly kissed her on the forehead and she smiled inwardly at his gesture but she took his face in her hands and kissed him lightly on the lips, partially cautious and partially teasing him. He was shocked but then took it all in good fortune as he lowered him self and returned her kiss.

--------------------------

Ding! Ding! Ding! The doorbell rang and the two shot up from floor, Takuya's hair was even more mussed up than before sticking up in all different directions and his body was covered in sweat and Izumi was breathing hard with her hair sticking to her skin while she was clutching onto the small white towel that covered her front body as Takuya slipped into his jeans again and straightened his hair out by ruffling it. She rushed out of the room and down the stairs all the while trying to clean herself out and putting on a robe, Takuya followed her out and stood behind her when she opened the door to reveal Aoi and Kouji on her front steps. Kouji raised an eyebrow at his bestfriend who looked away but Aoi wrinkled her nose at them and bluntly said, "Ew. You guys smell and look like sex! Must you make it so obvious?" then she pointed at Takuya, "And you young man didn't come home last night." He rolled his eyes at her and scoffed at her accusation.

"It's not like you're my mother." He muttered under his breath but Aoi just waved it off walking into the house.

"Onto more important matters." she began waving her arms in the air and mumbling something incoherent that only Kouji seemed to understand as he nodded to her ramblings and disappeared into Izumi's living room. The two remaining couple exchanged confused looks and followed suit after Kouji. Aoi was pacing the room still mumbling under her breath and Kouji was sitting peacefully on the couch looking at the floor.

"What brings you two here so early?" Izumi asked pulling Aoi to a seat and forcing her to sit so she would stop pacing around. She sat with her feet up and a finger between her teeth biting on it in nervousness, distracted in thought then she looked up at Izumi.

"Not to be mean or anything but can you give me and Takuya a private moment for a sec?" she looked at her with desperation in her eyes and a friendly smile that only allowed Izumi to smile and nod in reply heading towards the kitchen to make some drinks.

"I'll go and help her... whatever she's making." Kouji offered and made way after Izumi into the kitchen. Aoi pinched the bridge of her nose and inhaled deeply then slowly exhaled, Takuya waited patiently even though it wasn't his style to do so but he felt whatever she had to say sounded important enough for him not so make sarcastic remarks.

"Listen to me Takuya, I don't have time to tell you things in detail but I need you to take Izumi outta here ASAP. I don't care what you have to do to her out of here... carry her if you have to!" there was a sound of urgency in her voice that made Takuya insecure inside, something was up and she wasn't telling him. He crossed his arms in front of his bare chest and looked at her with his piercing brown eyes demanding the rest of the story, Aoi glared back at him, "And will it kill you to put on a shirt?" she sighed when he didn't budge, "Brother's back and I'm afraid that I don't have the power to stop him. Both you and Izumi have to get out no matter what." the mention of her brother made Takuya's blood freeze and jump up with shock.

"You've got to be kidding me!" he said with an exasperated tone but Aoi just shook her head, "Where do you suppose we go then?" again Aoi shook her head and sighed running her slender fingers through her dark brown hair.

"I don't know! I haven't exactly gotten that far yet!" she said a bit too loud, she was cracking under the pressure of the situation. Takuya could tell this was getting under her skin especially now that another guardian has shown himself among the mortals, "My place... go to my place, he wouldn't dare step into it's sanctions. Please, Takuya hurry there's little time left of what we have. I have business to take care of so I've got to go. I leave Izumi in your hands, be safe, be cautious. Good bye Takuya Kanbara." she touched his hand and before Takuya could begin to protest she began to fade giving him one last smile before she completely disappeared.

"Aoi..." her lingering touch still on his skin as he stared at where she had stood minutes before, "Fate... Thank you."

"Is she gone?" a voice came from behind and he turned around to look at Izumi and Kouji slowly nodding.

"Yeah... for now." he said softly.


	18. Night of Never Ending Songs

Chapter 18: Night of Never Ending Songs

Dressed in her Guardian ware Fate approached her father and her lord and kneeled before him in respect, he motioned for his daughter to get up and speak.

"Father, I think you know what I'm here for." she simply stated sweeping her arm and bowing, her dress sleeves went through the clouds that surrounded her feet making a soft twinkling sound. Her father Lord Jikoku stood poised and tall listening to his daughter. His white hair proved his infinite wisdom and his height represented his power and stature, a slim white hand went through his greying beard as he thought about the situation.

"Hime..." he said in a low voice turning his head slightly but not completely. Fate was caught off guard at her father's unexpected name call, he'd called her 'princess' something he hadn't called her in a long time and Fate responded quietly with a step forward. "There's something I must tell you... something I've been hiding and must tell you before you hear it from your nii-san as I would suspect." again Fate was hit with a sense of nostalgia when her father used the term nii-san. A flash of images appeared before her that made her stagger, Kouichi was there smiling at her and there was Takuya and the others too... she clutched her head as id in pain and shut her eyes. Finally her father turned fully around revealing strong set violet eyes and a hawk nose upon a sturdy face that seemed to be wizened by centuries of knowledge, "It's in regards to those you are with right now and the truth about them... how your fate plays into theirs." So there was a connection between her and the rest of them, she;d felt there was something deeper in her meeting with them that fated day three years ago. "For now you must rest my daughter... you've done enough. In a few days you'll learn the truth, so please forgive me my child..." his eyes were filled with sadness as he snapped his fingers. Before she hit the ground in darkness one name echoed through her mind, _'Kouichi...'_

_-----------------------------_

"You think she's ok?" she whispered, her hot breath touching his warm skin eliciting a small moan from Takuya as he pulled her closer feeling her small body touch his making him shudder with uncontrolled desire to take her away again. He nuzzled between her bare bosoms, her body still slightly wet with sweat as he heard her heart beat against her chest. It was another night of lust and passion as the two huddled in Takuya's bed satisfying each other's needs. It's been days since anyone has heard or seen anything from Aoi after she disappeared from Izumi's house, Kouichi's been waiting by the window for her every night hoping she'll come home. He kissed her collarbone as she wrapped her arms around him worried for her best friend's safety. He heard a whimper and looked up to see his beautiful fair-haired princess crying, her tears glistening in the moonlight that crept through the closed curtains.

"Oh my cherie, don't cry, we'll see her again I promise.. So don't worry." he soothed stroking her hair. She laid her petite head on his chest slowly tracing old scares and listening to the pattern of his breathing.

"If she doesn't come back, it'll be my fault... and I can't bare the thought of Aoi getting hurt Takuya." She muttered, he touched her bare arm shimmering in the dark then gradually traced it up to her chin and lifted them and met her lips half way up as if telling her everything would be ok.

_'Please let everything be ok...'_

Takuya woke up to the bright sunlight streaming from the windows, he squinted his eyes against it and stretched his arms to get his blood going. He looked over at the sleeping figure next to him and smiled, he went over to her and placed a kiss on her shoulder before heading to take a shower. The water ran hot across his tanned skin dripping off his dark brown hair, he lathered himself and rinsed before hitting the off lever. When he stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist Izumi was at the sink tiredly filling a cup of water and attempting to brush her teeth. He kissed her lightly behind her ear and wrapped around from behind and looked at the groggy Izumi in the mirror.

"You're blocking the view Izumi..." he teased slipping his hand up her shirt and touching her abdomen while tracing kisses from her neck to her cheeks. She leaned back and felt the heat radiating from his body as she let him go on and smiled giving him a good morning peck on the cheek and giggled. He turned her around and stole a hard kiss from her lips.

"Maybe I'll let you see some more later, go get changed and get breakfast will you?" she said pushing him out the door a sly smile pulling at her lips as she closed it. Takuya slipped into something comfortable and went downstairs to see everyone at breakfast. Kouji waved his spoon in good morning without even looking up from his partially eaten cereal and Tomoki gave him a warm welcoming smile whereas Junpei completely ignored him as usual since the day Izumi was to be staying in Aoi's house.

"Are you still pissed that I slept with her?" he asked him yawning and falling into a chair, Junpei grunted a response and this bothered Takuya, "Dude, if you have something to say, say it already. Stop beating around the bush dammit."

"What do you want me to say Takuya?! You fucking took her virginity for Christ sakes! Her innocence! God damn it her chastity!" he finally yelled flailing the rice spatula in the air flinging rice everywhere, "She trusted you!"

"What the #!& are you talking about Junpei?" Takuya growled standing up and facing Junpei, both came eye to eye with each other. Junpei narrowed his eyes and took a dangerous step forward into Takuya's territory. Kouji and Tomoki looked at the two, Kouji looked nonchalant about this but really he was watching carefully in case the two bone heads couldn't keep their tempers down then it's going to be a WWF smack down in the kitchen and he is in NO mood to deal with it. Tomoki worried as usual looking at Takuya his nii-san as Tomoki had called him when he was younger and Junpei... they didn't usually fight like this with so much hate in their eyes. They were suppose to be friends! Junpei struck a finger at Takuya's chest and asked him a question that caught everybody off guard.

"Then tell me this much Takuya Kanbara, do you love her?" he asked menacingly not blinking even once since the beginning of the spat began. Takuya faltered under his stare as his head began to race with thoughts and even doubts.

"I-" Takuya began when Izumi sidestepped into their fight.

"Stop it you two!" she ordered pushing Takuya behind her and looking at Junpei with her fierce green orbs, "I know you're disappointed in me and my decisions, but you can't blame Takuya for it I had agreed to it too." a look of hurt crossed Junpei's eyes and a pang of guilt shot through her, he put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a small smile.

"I'm not disappointed in you Izumi, I just wanted you safe... To make sure this is what you really want. I've known Takuya for years and I'm happy that..well.. you two are together and all but please I don't want to see either of two hurt." she had a feeling the last part was to her more than it was to Takuya, he too had loved her once upon time even if it was just a simple crush, it was still the same. She took his hand in hers and smiled at him.

"Thank you Junpei," she said softly looking at him with grateful eyes. He returned her thanks with a kiss to the forehead and headed out of the kitchen without a single word to anyone else. Takuya shook with anger as he witnessed the feelings Junpei still had with Izumi that he was literally shaking with rage, Izumi turned around and faced him with a ticked off expression.

"Oh don't even go there and pin this on me, he started it!" Takuya said angrily at her, slamming the table with his fist but Izumi didn't flinch she was already way beyond that, days at the digital world had some what toughened her out.

"Why did you go and do that Takuya?!" she partially yelled out, "What did he ever do to you?" He strummed his finger on the table not answering her question.

"If I may," a voice broke out and Izumi turned to look at Tomoki who had spoken up, "Knowing Takuya's ever enlarging ego.."

"Hey!" Takuya interjected with a pout but Tomoki went on.

"He's not mad or anything..." he explained but then Kouji's voice interrupted him.

"Jesus Christ Izumi. The damn idiot is jealous." he finished biting another spoonful of cereal not looking at them but out the window of the kitchen. She looked at Takuya and raised an eyebrow, did it really take that little to make him jealous?

"I'm not jealous Kouji," Takuya lied trying to hide his embarrassment, "This whole thing started with Junpei and his sensitivity towards my relationship with Izumi, if he can't take it then fine being the good friend that I am I'll stay away from her." not leaving time for Izumi to protest he turned around went out the kitchen, seconds later the front door could be heard opening then slamming shut as Takuya walked out of the house. It became quiet too fast as the three of them watched in silence of Takuya's sudden leaving.

"What are you doing just standing there! Go after him Izumi!" Tomoki pestered pushing her towards the door but she didn't move but just bit her lips trying not to cry.

"If he wants to leave then fine. I don't need him either!" she said defiantly then walked out of the room in rage. The remaining two looked at each other then Kouji sighed putting his spoon down and wiping his mouth and went towards the front door where Takuya had left minutes earlier.

"I can't stand girls crying so you take Izumi, I'll take the idiot maybe I can beat some sense into that guy," he said with a bored tone as if he was truly sick and tired of this game of who loves who, Tomoki laughed and nodded as he headed upstairs and Kouji out the door to find Takuya. Boy, who knew life could get so complicated before breakfast?


	19. Touching Across Time

A/N: Sorry for the late update and all but I had writer's block again then this idea popped into my head and alas! It became a very long chapter.. Well I hope you enjoy this chapter! It contains a bit of history and the truth about Fate's past and her connection to everybody else! Wooo! Remember to review guys!

Chapter 19: Touching Across Time

He maybe 17 and he maybe a little too old for it but there he was sitting there sulking. Yes. Sulking like a little spoiled kid who didn't get what he wanted on Christmas morning. He was staring across the water with the sun blaring down the water making it sparkle like crystals, his eyes were kind of narrowed in thought the way it does when he gets irritated or when he's sulking. Kouji has seen it all too often at his house when he loses a fight with his younger brother Shinya. He put his hands into his jean pockets and walked over to the brown haired teen that was sitting on the warm asphalt of the dock side. Takuya didn't say anything but kept on staring out at the sea with his arms over his pulled up knees and that face.

"Go talk to her will you?" Kouji said leaning back and letting the sea-salt wind play with his hair, the gulls above him cawed as he looked up and watched the white birds fly around in endless circles. He hated Takuya. Hated how he had everything and yet he doesn't feel satisfied about it or even have the guts to say his feelings to the girl of his dreams, the one he had talked about endlessly while back in Tokyo. He had traveled all this way here to Nagasaki, Kyushu to see her. _'Damned idiot...' _it wasn't just hate he felt towards his best friend it was also jealousy, he was envious how in love the two were and how they were so into one another that they were willing to lose their chastity with each other. The guys were lucky that they all lived in Tokyo and just taking the train at the Shibuya Station would they get to see each other again but Izumi wasn't so lucky, she was only in Tokyo for a short while before she had to return back to Kyushu. When she told them it hit Takuya the worst but he played it off really well that Izumi didn't suspect anything and left without saying anything special. They lived in two separate regions, Takuya like the rest of the guys lived in the Kanto region whereas Izumi lived in Kyushu approximately 550 miles away from them, half way across Japan.

"Why should I... I didn't start this." he whined, Kouji laughed at his childish response and gave his friend a friendly shove on the arm before going back to watch the sky and it's blue vastness.

"You two fight and I mean ALWAYS fight and argue, but eventually you two make up and everything is ok again. Why is this any different?" he asked him falling to the ground and putting his arms behind his head waiting for his reply. Takuya was silent before he said anything as he thought about it, he knew why it was different this time because there was more to it than just words. There were feelings and emotions behind the words being thrown at each other in the past month or so that he had spent with her and here he was denying everything his heart was trying to tell him the moment he saw her three years ago on the train taking them to the digital world. How she had teased him and how he had always been there to protect her from danger and how she had always had his back when he needed it, it all lead up to this very moment defining his teen year that he was possibly in love with her. Something clicked inside his head as he looked at the that possibility, he _**was **_in love with her the moment he had lain his copper colored eyes upon the sandy haired girl across the station how she had smiled at him and waved then hopped onto a train after that. Why hadn't he realized it then? Maybe because of all the distractions of trying to survive in a world that was filled with strange digital monsters that he didn't realize it then and that it had taken this long for him to figure out his feelings for her. He was only 14 then how was he suppose to know what those feelings were? He didn't understand what loving another person like that meant, love took time to develop... and now he finally understood. A gust of wind blew ruffling Takuya's hair as his light brown eyes opened in realization of the unknown feelings. Kouji felt the air around him, his skin prickling with anxiousness that Takuya finally understood when he sat up and looked at his best in the eyes he smiled and tapped his shoulder once.

"See you at home." Kouji said giving him a smug smile before getting up and walking away.

"Jerk." he muttered returning to watch the sea drift in and out with boats bobbing up and down the blueness of the water glistening under the sun.

---------------------------

"Izumi-san!" Tomoki yelled around the house running up and down the stairs, searching everywhere for the blonde young teen, "Izumi-san!" he had even added the formality to the end of her name maybe then she would come out, she had hated it when they call her that she felt that it was way too formal for friends like them to call each other like that so from then on the rest had caught on to just calling each other by their first names.

_'Where could she be!' _He slowed down to catch his breath when he heard footsteps behind him, he turned around with a hopeful smile that it was Izumi.

"KYAAAAAA!" Tomoki screamed jumping several inches into the air when he saw the dark figure down the hall hunched in the corner, Tomoki could feel the cold sweat forming on the brow of his forehead as he strained his eyes at the black figure. It stood up and came towards Tomoki who scrambled to the other side of the hallway and soon hit the wall, he flailed his arm in the arm as if trying to protect himself.

"Don't hurt me! I don't taste good!" he screamed at the object walking towards him, his old child nightmares were coming to haunt him! Mom had told him he shouldn't be seeing these things anymore! That liar! He cringed ready for the pain to come when the monster rips his intestines out.

"What the hell is that ruckus?" Kouichi said scratching his hair while trudging to the bathroom coming to the light, Tomoki cracked open his eye. _' Kouichi? Yukata!' _He did a leap of faith into the air with tears pouring from his eyes, _'I'm saved!'_, "Hey bozu, you didn't answer my question." Kouichi said threateningly, Tomoki looked at Kouichi. He looked the like the embodiment of the words 'looking like shit', his shirt was backwards and his pants drooped to the floor with who knows what kind of brown stains on it and his hair was all over the place! Tomoki walked over helped Kouichi stand up taller.

"Oh, Kouichi-sempai look at yourself," Tomoki muttered pulling the black haired teen onto his feet when he fell, they walked into the bathroom and he turned on the water and let it run for awhile then he left Kouichi inside to take a shower.

_'Aoi-chan! Please come back to us! It's like hell here without you!' _Tomoki clenched his fists and prayed, then returned to go look for Izumi in the house. He had to find her if not Kouji is going to kill him if he didn't, '_Why are you doing this to me Izumi?! Where are you?'_

-------------------------

Fate opened her eyes and blinked at the dim light around her, _'Ehgg.. Where am I?' _she thought to herself, she looked at the white drapes around her bed and the soft blankets set on top of her to keep her warm. It reminded her of her room back in the palace, with the wooden make up desk on her right and the window on her left, she sat up as the things around her looked more and more familiar. _'Wait.. this IS my room.' _she rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes and looked around again, this was definitely her room. She pulled back the white drapes that surrounded her bed and stepped out of her bed revealing that she was only wearing a simple white night gown, she slipped into a pair of snow white slippers and wrapped herself in a light purple robe and secured it around her. She walked into her father's reading room and found him sitting there reading a book by the fire place, when she came in he smiled and set the book down and motioned her to sit.

"I see you're finally awake," he said folding his hands on his lap and sitting back into the chair, she yawned and he laughed which earned him a scowl from her.

"What do you mean 'finally' how long was I out?" she asked putting her legs up on a footstool in front of her.

"Approximately three days," he answered her, she sat silent as she let the thought settle in her mind. Three days huh? That's a long time but not that weird in her community, Guardians who expend too much power and energy can sleep for weeks even months depending on how much power was used up. She wondered how the others were holding up without her hopefully they haven't destroyed the house with their constant fights and arguments, she laughed at the scenario.

"Fate," her father began putting down his glasses and looking at her with his stern violet blue eyes, she returned them with a bored look, "I think it's time to open up the lid that I've been keeping closed for many centuries." Fate didn't move as her father got up and went over to his shelf and pulled out a book, she had remembered faintly something her father had said something about telling her the truth or what not. He sat down and opened the book and handed it to Fate to look at, on the first page was the letters 'Fate' traced in intricate lines and decorations and she looked up at her dad and turned the page and looked down at a picture of a young woman that resembled her and another man that looked like...

"Kouichi..." she whispered touching the picture in front of her and on the other page was Izumi and Takuya but they were in clothes that resembled back of that of the mid 18th century style. Izumi was decked in a beautiful gold dress with collars going down to the breast area and fancy bows lining the front with many frills here and here with long trains and were most likely poufed and polonaised up, it seemed she was from a rich family or some sort. Takuya on the other hand looked like a villager baker with simple clothes on but they were hand in hand with a smile on their face.

"It was the era of Reason and Change, this age represented a genesis in the way man viewed himself, the pursuit of knowledge, and the universe. You were sent to London to do a job for there has been problems there lately and you were at a convention when you met Mr. Minamoto from feudal Japan who has taken an interest in the Enlightenment that England and the rest of Europe was experiencing. He courted you and from there it was history... he wooed you and you two were inseparable from then on. You spent more and more time in the mortal realm with him and along with that you befriended a young maiden of a rich family named Zoe Dandolo, her family was from Venice and very influential to the people of London whom you now know as Izumi Orimoto. You two became fast friends and eventually became best friends 'bosom buddies' as they called it. She had fallen in love with a commoner as you can see, his name was Piero Lombardi an orphan of Japanese descent and later was taken in by an Italian baker. He then became a baker himself in the village not far from where the bigger houses stood where Izumi lived, you would know him as Takuya Kanbara today. The four of you were so close and there was so much youth in all of you and you were so in love with Kouichi that I couldn't bare to to separate you two, but they were still mortals and there are consequences when we Guardians meddle too much in the lives of humans that they must be disposed of. That night was the worst night... I never meant for it to happen that way sweetie. Your brother..." he tripped over his words as Fate listened patiently for her father to finish her hands clenching into fists, it was so weird listening to a part of your life that you have totally forgotten, the pictures in the book were the same words that came out of her father's mouth. She came upon the last pages of the book and turned it, it was splattered with red as a dark figure stood upon three dead bodies with a menacing looking in his eyes and a malicious grin that spoke of nothing but evil. In his hands were three orbs colored: grey, lilac, and red, Fate recognized it for she was too familiar with it not to know what they were. They were souls, Kouichi, Izumi, and Takuya's souls. That bastard slaughtered them and took their souls for his own selfish desires! White hot anger boiled in her small body as she shook with rage and slammed her fists onto the arms of the chair tears staining the pages of the book as she let out a piercing scream of fury.

"Why!" she demanded her father who looked for once in her life time old and withered from the ageless work of being a Guardian, his shoulders sagged and shook then looked up at his daughter.

"You know why... their souls were precious even back then, we just didn't know that he was hunting them down already so soon. If we had known sooner we would've sent back up and security and your powers were weakened from spending so much time in the mortal realm that you didn't stand chance against your brother when he took the lives of your two best friends and lover. That's why you went to his call three years ago, you and Takuya share a timeless friendship...every century or so no matter where the four of you were you guys always found each other whether it's ancient Egypt or the Renaissance era the love and friendship you four formed couldn't be broken. It was only through time that others came along which included Kouichi's twin, Junpei, and young Tomoki. After the witness of the slaughter your brother took advantage of your guilt and used you to kill that innocent child and at last he was caught and banished, the souls were released and here they are in modern day Japan." Finally she understood why her brother was back again working his precious time to get out of Hell, he was waiting for them to appear.

"He's going to kill them again isn't he?" she said in horror throwing down her robe and with a twist of her hand changed into her Guardian ware, "I have to save them," her father nodded.

"I cannot defeat him for this is your battle so only you can take him out, I fear that the years in Hell he has only gained stronger from relentless training. Be careful Fate." he warned and she gave her father one last hug before running out of the room praying to Beloved that everyone is still alive.


	20. Disclosure of the Heart

A/N: I have come to realize that the chapters are getting longer and longer in which takes me forever to update, hmm I think you guys should tell me whether you like it long or average... :) Ciao! (Remember to review!!)

Chapter 20: Disclosure of the Heart

Who knew how long he sat there just watching the sea but it was nearly sunset when he decided to get up and head home, he shoved his hands into his pant pockets and shuffled his feet on the still warm cement of the ground looking at nothing in particular. It's time he told her the truth, what she needed to hear from him then maybe she'll finally realize what he had wanted to tell her from the beginning even though he never knew it himself. There maybe a possibility that she wouldn't love him though but he didn't care, all that mattered is that he loved her and he was going to tell her dammit! She deserved every goddamn right not to love him, he had left her three years ago without even saying a proper goodbye and he had made her wait all these years for him to reappear again. He came with one conclusion in the end: He was an asshole. Who knows how many sleepless nights had he caused for her? How many tears she had shed for him? He was going to make it up to her, that he was for sure. The warm wind brushed along his face as he walked his way home to Fate's house, he lifted his face to darkening sky and closed his eyes breathing in the scent of the sea. _'Please Izumi.. wait a little longer.' _

Takuya opened the door and found Tomoki scrambling around the house in panic mode and Kouji trying to calm him down, Kouichi was sitting on the couch like a dead corpse staring at the floor and Junpei was on the phone with a worried look on his face. He went upstairs towards his room hoping that Izumi would be there, he'd imagined her curled up on the bed with her red puffy eyes from crying all day and he would come in and make everything ok again just like always. He turned the knob and pushed the door open, it was empty, the window was opened allowing the summer wind to come in and make the room a little warmer than usual, the bed was made probably done by Izumi before she came down to the kitchen to find Junpei and Takuya fighting and the room smelled of summer air everything was in it's place just like he left it this morning. Something stirred inside Takuya as he slowly closed the door and silently made his way downstairs maybe the guys knew where she was like she might might be taking a walk to blow off some steam or something. He walked into the kitchen and Junpei looked up and narrowed his eyes at him, he didn't return the favor just went into the other room to look for Kouji whom has finally gotten Tomoki to sit, when he entered the room both of them looked up and a look of panic and worry swept across their eyes.

"Hey... Where's Izumi?" he asked them, Tomoki and Kouji looked at each other with apprehension that gave Takuya a slight chill that something was wrong again. There always were when it came to the Frontier kids, nothing was ever ok in their lives something always had to up. It was just the way it was when one was chosen to save the digital world, it was a package deal. Just great.

"Don't get mad, but..." Tomoki squeaked out biting his nails, "but... Izumi's missing! All her things are gone and I haven't seen her since this morning. We checked her house and all we found is the stuff she took back from this house, it seems like she made a drop off and went off again." Takuya just looked at the ground and thought for a moment then turned around and headed for the door when Kouji stood up.

"Where you going, it's getting late!" he said after him, Takuya turned his head and smirked.

"I'm going to go look for her, duh." he said with a grin going out the door and slamming it after him, Kouji just shook his head and smiled. That boy would never listen, he just goes head on about things without thinking, but hey that's Takuya for you.

-----------------------

Izumi sighed slipping into the warm water with a content look on her face as she dipped her whole body into the spring. How good it felt with the warm heat around her tickling her face and arms, she sunk her head into the water wetting her blonde hair then came back up for air and leaned back against the rocky edges of the hot spring. It was a tough morning having to deal with a cranky Takuya and a disappointed Junpei it was all a girl can take in one morning before she cracked under the pressure. She had packed her things the moment she stormed into Takuya's room and left via window and came back to her house then ran all the way to Akiyama Springs for a dip to relax her tensed body and pounding head. A place where she knew no one would ever find her, it was a private little spring business that she had found just a little behind the Saionji Temple. The only person she told was Takuya but it was nearly forever since she told him how she would come here to think things out when she's stressed or just to relax and seeing how Takuya never listens and tends to forget almost anything right after he's told she didn't worry about him finding her here. She sunk her face half way down and blew making bubbles appear on the water above, her brows furrowed with thought. He was such a jerk and asshole for yelling at her like that, she was defending Junpei not confessing her love for him, didn't he understand that she loved him and him only? Apparently he didn't. Maybe that was it, he didn't love her... all he had wanted from her was sex... but Takuya wasn't like that and all those nights where they laid in his bed and whispered little secrets it felt like there was something more, the way he kissed her and the way he lightly touched her arms it was all signs of feeling behind the action. She knew she wasn't that pretty compared to other girls at school but that didn't mean she wasn't attractive right? Ugly thoughts popped into her head as she sat there in the hot water thinking, she didn't even bother to shake the thoughts out she just let them wander in her mind thinking of the possibilities about a relationship between her and Takuya. She had found him cute the first time she saw him but that was it, it was through the days she spent with him in their adventures that she really found out what kind of guy Takuya was. He was ignorant, stubborn, hard-headed, temper mental, childish, and very bossy but on the other hand he was fun loving, sweet, kind, caring, and somewhat mature when it came to protecting others that made Izumi feel otherwise about him. They were only 14 back then and crushes meant nothing with time crushes faded and so Izumi waited and waited but only her feelings grew day by day instead of disappearing. She wasn't stupid to not take in what was happening to her, she was slowly liking this boy named Takuya that she met on a train station that day. It was only on the day he left her that she felt something was utterly wrong without his presence by her side. Girls always dreamed about knights in shining armor saving them from their imprisonment in the castle and she too once wished it but she found out that she had the strength to save herself instead of waiting for her knight to come and rescue her. Along the journey of saving herself she found people who she was able to call friends and family even a charming prince who is still little rough around the edges. Then again what did she know? She's only 17 barely a woman all she understood was heartbreak; love wasn't exactly her strong point at the moment. No one said love was ever going to be easy... in fact it's damn right difficult to the point where people should just give up on it. Izumi was so into her thoughts that she didn't hear the door slide open and close and footsteps from behind until a voice spoke up and almost scared the hell out of Izumi snapping her awake from her thoughts. She whirled around and saw Takuya standing in front of her with a slight frown on his face and dropped hands on his side.

"What the HELL are you doing here? How'd you find me?" she asked shocked and surprised pulling her wet towel around her body and swimming away from him.

"Stay." he commanded and she stopped, there was a sense of authority in his voice that she never heard before until now, but her lips pulled down as she thought how the command made her look like a dog to him, she looked away.

"What do you want?" she voice drawled a little from the heat and she stood up from the water looking up at him. He sighed and his rigid position relaxed, his hand went through his hair in the way that made him look so sexy doing it.

"I'm sorry Izumi ok..? I shouldn't have those things in such a attitude, but I need to talk to you so can you come out?" he asked with a soft tone and an apologetic look in his eyes that Izumi smiled and reached up touching his face, her head lifted a little in a way that Takuya's lips met hers with a smile. In the mist of the spring you can see two lovers kissing among the mist of the Akiyama Springs one standing tall above the other and slightly bending down to meet the aperture of his significant other and her standing there with just a simple wet towel covering her front, water dripping from her long blonde locks and down her curvaceous body.

They walked around the temple and out to the front where a cobblestone path lead the way to the steps of the temple. He had waited for her to change and come out of the hot springs and when she did they walked quietly out and into hushed streets of Nagasaki. For a brief moment they didn't say anything just enjoyed the still silence of the night, Takuya looked at the night life around him and smiled contently of the fire flies and crickets that made it a bit more lively when Izumi spoke up.

"How'd you find me anyways?" she inquired looking at the blinking lights of the city afar from the docile surroundings of the lush country side.

"You told me once that you went to the Akiyama Springs when you get stressed out and or when you wanted to think. I'm pretty sure you wanted to sort out your feelings from this morning so I only assumed that you'd be here." he remarked, "Hopefully that is." giving her a look of sarcasm that she chuckled, they continued walking.

"So you remembered that I told you then..." she murmured to herself actually surprised that he listened that day. Takuya nodded in response but laughed knowing what she was thinking and he scratched his head.

"I know that I don't listen much of the time let alone remember, but I actually do sometimes..." he confessed giving her a small smile that made Izumi feel that there was more to Takuya than she had thought. They had unexpectedly started on the pathway to the temple making their way to it in slow moving steps, one foot in front of the other making clacking noises with their sandals in the quiet night. She pushed a strand of wet hair behind her ear and looked up at the starry sky and sighed a little, she didn't understand what was going on. Her life had gone from normal to complete chaos in the amount of time that Takuya and the others miraculously appeared in her life again. Not only that but he had actually gotten her to fall for him all over again just like he did back when they were still kids. She could hardly call 14 years old 'kids' more like in their 'tween' years as they call it now, but still they didn't understand anything about responsibility and priorities but now that they were 17 and hitting adulthood soon, it became more clear to them. She looked over at her companion for the night and for once in her life realized that she didn't know this new Takuya as well as she thought she did, yes she had once known the old one but 3 years has passed and three years can do a lot for a person including changing the way one thinks. Other then the fact that they shared a common childhood adventure that was all she knew of Takuya Kanbara and that he has one brother and a caring mother at home. Wow, it was as if someone had enlightened her of reality as this idea dawned on her for the first time in years of consideration on her part. She stopped in her tracks as Takuya kept going up then slowed down and turned around to see what was keeping her from moving forward, she looked up at his face with the moonlight shining down casting shadows upon his face.

"What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked trying not to sound too curious, and for a fraction of time she saw his face turn brick red from her question as he tried to form words from his mouth. She had never seen him like this before, the only other time that made him spluttered like an idiot was the time when she had told him that she was three months older than him on their first day at the digital world. Finally he gave up and just gave her a smile before saying anything further.

"Would you believe if I said that..." he started then trailed off trying to think of a word to describe what he wanted to say, "...That I had inexplicitly fallen in love with you from the moment I saw you at that platform that day?" he finished in a calm voice, the last part made her stumble and without warning she snorted a laughter.

"Truth be told, not really Takuya. That was complete cheese right there... We were 14 what did we know?" she stated with a pursed lip, "But I suppose something else formed while we were there and from there er... Feelings became more apparent in the end." He put his hands behind his head and looked up at the full moon and grinned his famous smirk that was annoyingly cute to Izumi sometimes.

"I think I'm in love with you Izumi." he said brusquely catching Izumi way off guard that she missed a step and fell to her knees, he took her hands and helped her up, "Actually scratch that." she looked at him with raised eyebrows and he chuckled, "I _**know**_ that I'm in love with you Izumi Orimoto even though it took me this long to figure it out, I know I do." he released her hand with reluctance and faced the temple direction again. She didn't say anything trying to let this whole scene sink into her mind, "I've always loved you, I just couldn't be true to myself you know?" he said taking another step up towards the temple, he turned to face Izumi who just stood on the lower steps and looked up at him with her green eyes. He could see that what he said made her cheeks flare to life with color and for a strange reason made him very happy knowing simple words from him can make her react like that. The feeling of complete hopelessness was what she was feeling as she was grappling for words to say in return to his confession. The trees rustled with the summer wind and it tugged at her sandy hair; she still couldn't bring herself to say anything. What was she suppose to say? 'Hey I love you too?' it just didn't work like that in reality.

"Ta- Takuya... Please don't do this." she said looking at the cobblestone step, her heart racing at a 100 miles per hour and it was aching in a dull pain she knew so well. He furrowed his brows and put up his hand in a placate manner as if in surrender.

"It's ok... I get it. I know, I made a horrible mistake of not telling you sooner. I just thought it would've been better that way for me and you, I wanted you to be happy... who knew my leaving was your downfall in the end?" Takuya breathed out heavily in the summer night sky watching the fireflies buzz around in the azure black sky, the dim street lamps were flickering on and off throwing his face in shadows so she couldn't read his it. She was quiet just listening to her own heart beat wishing she could hear his that way maybe she could finally say what's on her mind. Even after three years her feelings for him never changed; she thought if she ran away it would just stay put but love is stubborn and it doesn't sit still. She walked the rest of the way up and reached the temple front and shifted her face to the sky, Izumi didn't want to say it but she had to tell him how she felt.

"Takuya," she began catching his attention, "Remember that night in the library? Where we were looking for that book of data?" He nodded not understanding where she was going with this, "Where we had accidently told each other our feelings that may have fueled into something else?" he laughed at the memory that seemed like it was just yesterday so vivid and alive.

"I really meant what I said that night, but I was too naive to say it out loud that I had liked you more than just a friend. What about you? Did you mean it?" he asked her solemnly watching her back as he finished the last step.

"I did, and I still do. My feelings never changed even after you left, I couldn't look at another guy without seeing you in their place. But- It's got to end, me and you... just can't." she said finally looking at her feet, hot tears welling in her eyes and threatening to spill. She heard scuffling of feet and felt a hand on her arm, Takuya turned her around and stared into her with his copper colored eyes. _'Don't do this... don't make it any harder for us Takuya... Please.' _her mind begged painfully her lips quivering and tears sliding down her cheeks. He leaned down so that their foreheads met and he closed his eyes and whispered, " Even if you won't say it because that's how you really feel, then I'm ok with it, but I'll always love you Izumi and I'll always be thinking about you no matter where I am." she looked at his face, ever so inviting and warm that she gave him a hug, burying her face into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled miserably, now it was she that was breaking his heart; oh the irony, it's not like she did it on purpose all she wanted for him was contentment but all she did was shatter his heart. _'What am I doing?' _she asked herself taking in his scent, his arms wound around her in a way that told her he cared for her, _'Something you should've done along time ago.' _her other side chided, but she shut the voice out from her head and savored the glory to be in his arms before she was to be wretched away from it again. Just when he pulled back the ground began to shake violently that Izumi fell on her tush with Takuya sprawled on her side. A chilling voice spoke from the dark that rose goose-bumps on Izumi's arms, she saw a black figure in the shades of the trees that made him that much more scary to look at.

"How touching, too bad your life span isn't gonna last as long as this reunion." he said cynically, he took a step forward and Izumi saw his silver white hair that touched his waist and a big dark swirling cloak of shadow around his shoulders. But it wasn't those that made her stare at him transfixed by his sudden appearance it was his curdling red eyes screaming pure evil and hatred that had her rooted to the floor.

"You..."


	21. The Other Side of the River

A/N: This chapter is more foundation for the rest of the stuff that's happening, you can say it's like reasons why this and this happened in the story.. Another explaining chapter I suppose but hey this time you get to hear about brother's side of the story and his oh so fabulous connection with our 'to be or not to be' lovers!

Chapter 21: The Other Side Of the River

Fate ran faster and faster, only if her power wasn't so useless on palace grounds then she could've been back at the house already. Her breath became heavier as she pushed herself to run faster, they just had to be alive they wouldn't give up their lives without a fight especially Izumi. Her side were in stitches as the pain seared through her body, she was not liking the whole idea of running to the portal exit to the mortal world. What ever was in the future she was ready to take head on even if it meant a fight with her brother. She reached the first gate of the portal end and was about to go through when her father's voice boomed from behind her making her jump from surprise at the power of his vocals.

"Fate." she turned around and found him right behind her, damn for a man of a few millennia years old he was still had his speed.

"Yes?" she moaned, she didn't exactly have the time to stand around and chit chat around with her old man right now, but he was getting closer and she could feel the lecture coming on about being careful around her brother, she faced her father.

"Those weren't the only memories stored within the book, the story that has no ending." he said cryptically that Fate raised an eyebrow at him in question.

"What? I have no idea what you just said... Dad, this isn't exactly the best times to give me one of those fortune cookie lectures." she said exasperated at his mysterious ways, she turned away again when he spoke up again.

"No. Those memories I suppressed from you, those weren't the only ones. I've been removing life time of memories from you Fate you have the know the whole truth before you go face him, that way it'll end this time or else the cycle will go on." he went on, Fate turned around and looked at her father with confused eyes.

"I can't believe that one life time wasn't enough for you that you had to erase my whole life!" she wailed throwing her arms in the air for emphasis, her father sighed and shifted in his robes

"When he died the first time... you went hysterical. It was the most painful days..watching you wither and cry in your room unwilling to come out. I didn't want you to go through it again... but I allowed you to see him because it made you so happy." he said softly sitting on a stone bench near the Crystal Fountain, he patted the seat next to him and Fate looking back at the swirling mist behind her then reluctantly went and sat beside her father, even if time was tight she wanted to know what really happened in her life, the part where it was stored between pages of a book.

"But the story didn't start there, I only began recording your story when it became necessary. The real story began with Izumi and Takuya, fated lovers since the beginning of time and I must tell you it's not exactly a happy ending. You were sent into it's contents only after when Izumi had feared to open up when Takuya shattered her heart. After that she just never wanted to be in love again and thing started going bad. Her clamped shut feelings are the only way out for her if she doesn't then the whole thing will start all over, that fool of a girl. The boy was brave in the end he was able to tell her but she still wouldn't believe him or herself that she was in love that young man. The purest of all loves and she's letting fear control her emotions and her actions so that you and the rest of them are chained in until she admits her heart to him." Fate listened with a faint heart as she turned her head and looked at the portal with uneasy eyes then back at her dad who has stopped the story. He was staring at a pair of birds on the branch above them, nestling against each other for warmth and comfort. "The easiest thing and she couldn't bring herself to say it to him." she touched his hand and urged him to go on, "Their souls will be tormented with death over and over again, more violent than the time before until there's nothing left of it that way the story will finally have an ending." She froze in her seat with her eyes growing big at his last statement.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You mean the complete annihilation of all their souls?! As in they can't even cross over? Doesn't that mean then..." she trailed off looking straight into her her old man's blue violet eyes and she held her breath.

"It's like they never existed." he finished for her, she took a heavy intake of breath at his answer, no it just couldn't happen like that! She needed Kouichi even if he died at least she would know that his spirit is somewhere safe.

"How does _he _play into this story?" she finally asked the question that had been nagging at her since the conversation began and her father actually laughed, "What's so funny? This is serious matter!"

"Believe it or not, it's because he meddled into a mortal's affair too that got him into this story along with you and anybody else standing too close to a human. He's a lot like you even if you won't admit it, you two came from the same mother in fact twins honey. You just don't understand his part of the chapter yet." Fate was disgusted at the way her dad was comparing her to her twin brother, she never mentioned it to anyone that she was his twin, it was good that she looked nothing like him or else other's would have speculated something. She hated him with all her heart and soul that it sucked having have been born from the same womb as him.

"I'm nothing like that murderer." she spat bitterly, her fingers wrenched around a small part of her dress and it wrinkled under her touch. "He's a killer, a cold-blooded killer."

"He might be, but you two were special when your mother brought you two along. I knew it the moment I laid eyes on you two in your mother's arms. One with silver hair and one of dark chocolate with beautiful lilac eyes and the other of ruby red." he mused recalling the days of Fate and her brother's infant days.

"We might be twins and we might share the same blood, but doesn't mean we share the same morals and beliefs let alone the same way of thinking." she retorted with a sharp tone and her father chuckled a low laugh from the bottom of his chest then looked straight into her eyes.

"Tell me one thing we have in common." she challenged giving him a look of a daring daughter ready to rip her brother's name to shreds.

"You two learned to fall in love. Not just anybody... but mortals. Something us Guardians don't know how to do... to love and feel those emotions that humans feel.." he revealed which sent Fate into mental shock, _'That's impossible..!' _her inner voice shouted that it clouded her ears for a moment. "He was in Ireland picking up the remains of lost souls when he saw a lass named Caroline picking berries and he was gone from there. Then she fell ill, and like every human she had to go... you can say it was her time. He tried everything in his power to save her but his job was inevitable as her name appeared on the list... that's when he started to go astray. He turned bitter and angry at his fate and went off to kill to seal away the pain that he knew he was going to experience when he lost her. The thrill of killing only lasted so long that soon he was looking for more 'longer-lasting' souls." he explained and Fate picked up from there.

"That's when he found out about Izumi and Takuya's souls and went after them." She said finally understanding some part of this long story herself.

"The only thing he could do was slow down time for her, but she's still dying..." he murmured under his breath and touching his long greying beard.

"What happened to her?" Fate asked quietly finally knowing her older brother's story, it was so much like Izumi's yet so different.

"She sleeps in a sealed glass box since that day he brought her in awaiting her prince to return and awaken her from her slumber only to face death when her eyes open." he sighed sadly shaking his head.

"Isn't there anyway to save her then maybe brother will stop pursuing such useless and dangerous goals?" Fate asked hopefully but it was crushed when Lord Jikoku shook his head again.

"Humans must die, it's the cycle of life for them... there won't be anything to live for if their petty lives just went on... the only thing that can save her is if an Immortal willingly gives up his or her immortality to that specific human than there's nothing holding back the human from living forever." he stated as if memorizing from a book. Fate sat there thinking about the things she had just heard, there is only one ending to this fairy tale and that is of that of a happy one whether Izumi wants it or not! And she was going to stop her brother from his recent killing sprees the last two centuries even if it meant going toe to toe with him she was ready to take on her full responsibility as the Guardian Fate.

"He was the one that broke her heart over and over again.. but in the end it is that exact person that she must open up to even if he was the one that hurt her the most." she noted understanding Izumi for the first time, "It must be hard to love someone like that..." she was in her own world when her Lord Jikoku touched her shoulder and she looked up at him.

"Are you still going?" he asked her not as a authoritative figure but as a father, he was concerned about her safety, it didn't matter whether she had powers or not but it was her biggest task that could change the future for many. She nodded and stood up heading towards the churning clouds of purple and blue, before she stepped in she turned around.

"Hey dad... did you love mother?" They stood there for a moment in silence then finally he broke into a simple smile and answered her.

"Yes, I did very much." she grinned and put a foot through the portal and gave him one last statement before she disappeared into the drizzle of light.

"I guess I'm not the only one who learned to love then." She twisted her body around again and was gone with a blast of bright light.

"Be safe my daughter."


	22. Race to Save the Souls

A/N: Sorry for the long wait.. been down in the dumps lately due to school issues and stuff that I haven't been really been up to updating, but I finally got to it when my conscience nagged me to start already... - 3-" again I'm terribly sorry (: here's chapter 22! Enjoy! Please remember to review! xD

Chapter 22: Race to Save the Souls

Fate felt her feet gently land on the concrete floor of Earth as she opened her eyes and smiled at the comforting scene of the familiar house in front of her. She walked up the steps quietly trying not to wake others who might be sleeping at this time. It was 2:36 am in the morning she was sure that the others wold be sleeping at this hour. Before her hand touched the knob she looked at it and wondered what the others would think when they found out that she's back, she had just disappeared the other day in Izumi's house and never called or warned them that she would be gone for awhile. What would she do? Especially with Kouichi. The last time they saw each other was when he spotted her with Kouji in the kitchen holding hands, the worst possible thought to be in mind before she vanished. She sighed she would just have to deal with it maybe she could talk it out with him or something, hopefully he'll listen to what she had to say. She pulled out the rusty key from her jean pocket and slipped it into the keyhole on the wooden door and turned. The door swung open with an eerie squeak and Fate looked in from the outside into the darkened house, something wasn't right. She cautiously walked in and shoved the key back into her back pocket before heading upstairs, shivers ran up her arm and down her spine. She approached Kouichi's room with much hesitation, something told her she had to talk with him first before anyone else. Her heart was pulsating in her chest like a snare drum being drummed on too fast as her fingers curled around the door knob and she gently twisted it open. There was a whoosh of wind and hair when a hand grabbed her by the wrist and forced her against the wall of the now closed door, they were so close she could feel their breathes mingling in the warm air of the room. Her eyes were looking into a pair of azure blue ones that almost looked ebony black in the shadows, his short messy black hair clinging to the side of his face and across his eyes.

"Kouichi..." she breathed out, looking at his bare chest raising and falling with each breath he took, his bottom of his pajama pants touching the floor. His hands pinned her wrists against the door tightly as she squirmed to get free.

"I had a feeling it was you behind that door, I just couldn't believe it. I thought you had left for good because you were mad at me for seeing you with my brother the other day." he said with a hint of hurt behind his words and she shook her head violently as if in protest to what he said. She looked up at him with eyes that told him that there was more to the story then he knew.

"I didn't go behind your back and start doing things with your brother, Kouichi! I thought that you knew me better than that! How could you assume that I would do such a thing?" She hissed at him trying not to raise her voice at him for the fear of disturbing the others and while she was at it gave him a meaningful glare. He let her go and exhaled a deep breath while running his hand through his hair and walking away from her and towards the window of his room. She followed him and gently wrapped her arms around his waist feeling his wiry muscles underneath his skin, her cheeks touched his warm back. "I learned something today, sometimes there's only one thing left to say and if we don't say it it might as well haunt us for the rest of our lives." He turned his head and looked at the small dark haired girl that he had learned to love and care for over the month he had spent with her and gave her a questioningly look. He turned his body around and wound his arm around her shoulders that so she faced the moonlit window with him behind her.

"And what would that be?" he asked her giving her a kiss on the neck, her fingers lightly touched his arm and her eyes glimmered.

"I want you know that..." her voice dropped, her head leaned back on his shoulders and she closed her eyes, "I love you... I want to say it before it's too late." she heard him laugh and he lowered his arm so that it was around her waist this time before he answered her.

"For some reason I already knew that..." he said sweetly into her ears, "I love you too Aoi... it was as if destiny wanted me to find you." she laughed to herself, understatement of the year, but now wasn't the time to dwell on the moment of truth.

"Hmm, oh yeah where's Takuya and Izumi?" she asked casually looking at the wind blown trees outside, he shrugged.

"They're not home yet, he went out looking for Izumi. I'm pretty sure he found her by now.. but I wouldn't worry about it Takuya and Izumi can handle themselves if something was up." she pushed herself away from him and looked at him in the dark.

"You mean they're not here? They're out there in the middle of the night? I thought I told them to stay here!" she said rather upset, now things were complicated. If they were out there as Kouichi had said then it wouldn't be a problem for her brother to track them down. They might as well be dead by now! She paced the room in thought trying to plan something in her head, they had to hurry if she wanted to save them this time. Footsteps came from the outside of Kouichi's room as the door opened and a sleepy Tomoki walked in with Kouji and Junpei in pursuit who switched on the light. Tomoki's eyes opened up like saucers when he saw Aoi standing there and almost threw himself at her in a hug.

"Aoi-senpai! You're back! I thought you weren't coming back!" he cried and she smiled hugging him back, the other two stood by the door way looking at her with knowing stares.

"Welcome home Aoi," Junpei with a curt nod and Kouji just smirked leaning against the door.

"About time." were the only words that came out of his mouth, Fate just gave him a death glare.

"I can't believe they're both out there with my psychopathic brother on the loose too." she said grinding her teeth and pacing the room again. At that instant Kouji knew he made a fatal mistake of letting them both out of his reach and one look from Fate he knew she she already knew what he was thinking.

"We have to leave now, let's just pray your best friend is still alive." she murmured to Kouji while walking out the door in a haste living a confused Tomoki, Junpei, and Kouichi behind.

----------------------------

_'No... No... NOO!' she screamed on top of a lifeless Takuya, his hazelnut colored eyes glazed over with death. This can't be happening, he just can't be gone, she stroked his hair tears pouring from her eyes and down her cheeks it dripped onto his shirt. A girl stood by agilely looking at a man before her, she resembled Aoi a lot with the dark colored hair and aggressive violet eyes that pierced the soul of any one who dared to anger her, but there was something different about this girl that made her different from Aoi. The man in black in front of them held something fiery in his hand it looked like a ball of fire or something._

_'His soul is mine... you should know the law of equivalent exchange, sister.' he said, his long white hair bellowing out behind him and his black robes shrouded around him like a shadow. He stepped through the white mass of swirling light and disappeared with Takuya's soul, Izumi's breath was caught behind her throat as she watched him disappear she looked up at the girl and saw her jaw lock sideways and a death glare at the place where the man once stood._

_'Damn it... How could you do that brother... even if you are __**Death**_

It was him... this man... she has seen him before somewhere, was it in a dream or something? Izumi couldn't remember as the image flashed in her head like sirens, but the result wasn't looking too good at this point. She couldn't move her body as her eyes just stared at the looming figure in front of her, approaching closer and closer. She felt cold sweat breaking across her forehead when he crouched down so they were eye to eye level and she didn't dare to blink in front of this monster called 'Death'. One of his long black fingers touched her cheeks and traced it down to her chin and he laughed a malicious laugh that sent death radiating through her body. She had never felt that kind of evil before in her life, it was so empowering and strong it took every ounce of fight in her body to resist against it. Takuya seemed to be out cold on the floor next to her, his limp body sprawled on the warm ground of the temple front, if only she could give him a good slaps to the face then he would think twice about blacking out on her at moments of crisis. His cold touch made her flinch back to reality, her emerald green eyes met his ruby red ones and he could feel the intensity of goodness flow from her that for a mere second he had second thoughts about accomplishing this task. He pushed those thoughts away and got back to his feet looking at both his preys on the floor.

"To think I was expecting a harder task to get to you two and yet here you are presented to me on a silver platter." he sneered with an evil grin that made Izumi shudder with coldness, "Time to get what belongs to me." he said coolly snaring his fingers around Izumi's thin throat and lifting her up. She flailed her legs trying to break free of his grasp but he was too strong for her and she was cut from her air supply. The world seemed to grow hazy as she felt life leaving her body, tears formed at the corners of her eyes. So many things she wanted to do and so many people she wanted to see again. Life flashed before her eyes, a memory of her and Takuya fighting on the train and on the platform the first day they met. An image of cooking up hamburgers with her friends at the digital world. Times when they were truly happy saving the world together. Pictures of them backing her up when she fought with all her heart and times when they were always there for her. The memories disappeared and was replaced by a screen of white. She could feel the tears fall from her eyes as she stopped fighting against him and let her hands fall to her side._'Huh... am I dead already...? There unfinished business though...' _her voice echoed in her head, the immense whiteness started to form into a shape of a person, _'Who is that...?' _then Takuya appeared in front of her with his quirky smile and a hand extended to her._'Takuya... I want to see Takuya one last time...' _she couldn't hold on much longer as her eyes closed and tears streaming down her cheeks. _'I'm so sorry guys... I hope you understand...Takuya..'_ her body went limp in his hands, he smiled satisfyingly at the dead girl in his his hand. he could feel her heart slowing down. _Ba Bump... Ba Bump..._

"Izumi!" the voice called waking her up, it kept ringing in her head that she felt like her head would explode if she didn't shut it up. Then she heard a loud shrill sound come from behind and then there was a crack and a small 'oomph' from her killer. She felt herself fall from his grip and land into someone's arms, it felt so safe... She faintly remembered voices yelling here and there before the world was covered in darkness.

He looked at the girl in his arms and brushed some stray hair away from her face as he sat on the ground waiting for her to wake up. It was so close.. he was so close to losing her again.. and this time it was permanent. He heard her calling him some where far away and he had tried to get to her but she seemed so distant then in the end when the call sounded the most urgent a light appeared and he woke up and saw her in his hand.. in that man's death grip, he had intentionally wanted to hurt her and kill her. He had called out to her that's when Fate and the other's appeared and Fate sent something hurdling towards her brother and it connected with his ribs making him fall over and letting Izumi go. He made a run for it after he caught her, all he knew was that he had to take her somewhere safe somewhere far away from THAT man. He softly kissed the top of her head and watched the sleeping beauty lay in his arms, he was going to pay for what he did... for what he did to her with his life. Kouji and Kouichi watched Takuya stare longingly at the blonde beauty that was unconscious at the moment and looked at each other with worried glances. If they had been any later, Izumi would've died at the hands of Death and that was something none of them could ever imagine.. they wouldn't know what to do anymore. Most of all Takuya would've felt like his heart shattered and he would willingly give up his life as there would've been no point in going on if he'd know that she wouldn't be there. Tomoki sat huddled in the corner of temple as the six of them sat silently in the main room of the cloister. He had never felt so scared in his life since the first he arrived at the digital world and was attacked by Cerebrusmon. He was 14 and still he could feel the fear rushing back in as if he was still 8 years old, back into his nightmares and old habits of being a cry baby. The tears came bubbling from the back of his eyes as he watched Izumi lay frigidly in Takuya's arms, she looked pale and deathly and it scared Tomoki half to death. He couldn't bear to lose her, she was like family to him. He tried to muffle his hiccups and wipe away his tears with the back of his hand so the others wouldn't see when he felt a hand on his head and he looked up. Kouji smiled half heartedly down at him while kneeling in front of him.

"It's ok Tomoki sometimes you can't help but be scared... No matter how old you are, even adults get scared. We all are.. so you're not alone in this." he said softly messing Tomoki's hair before he fell next to him and leaned against the wall and that night Tomoki cried like he did back when he was a child.


	23. Relinquish of Everything

A/N: I haven't done my trig homework.. I'm so screwed.. damn it's gonna be a long night.. well I suppose I can do it in the morning.. I'll think about it. Well here's chapter 23: Relinquish of Everything. I reread the story and realized the story ends up being a battle in the end.. how strange.. I knew there was going to be a struggle..but an all out war of survival? Strange. I didn't expect that. Ok! Enjoy!

Chapter 23: Relinquish of Everything

"Nii-san... Stop." she said in a low voice that only he could hear in the summer night that blazed by. He kept quiet, it had been years since he last seen her, before he was thrown in the Hell hole of a job he's got. He didn't feel guilty about any of the things he's done to her, his heart was sold and sealed the day he decided to go rogue. His red eyes moved over the platform of concrete and straight into her violet ones and he stepped back in shock. She was glaring right back at him, a new sort of fire was in her that wasn't there before... something had awakened in her. He narrowed his eyes at her with clenched fists and his lips turned down in a unhappy manner, he wasn't liking this new 'Fate' this one was like an amazonian warrior: strong and proud not like the weak and push-over that he had taken over a century ago.

"Hm, little Te-chan all grown up and playing super hero aren't we?" he said mockingly at her and she flinched at the name, something he had called her when they were little and it sort of just rubbed on, but it still brought back memories in which she cherished all the time.. secretly. Back when there was nothing to worry about, no souls to collect, no lives to guide around. Those were the days when they were just young and free to live out their lives riding the wind and laughing away the tears and pains. Then life got in the way and those days disappeared, she shut her eyes at the painfully happy memories.

"Stop playing games with their lives nii-san!" she pleaded with longing eyes that everything would just return to normal, she hated this.. hated everything that he had become and what he had done to her life and friends, "I don't want to fight... Anything but that. Please.." her voice cracked and tears were dangerously close to dropping from those amethyst eyes of hers. He shook his head then covered his eyes and laughed into the sky, she shivered at this emotionless sound that he called 'laughter' there wasn't anything fun or releasing about it.

"You haven't changed a bit Te-chan, still the little cry baby I see, fine.. I'll make it easier on you then, give them up freely and I won't kill the others like the last time we met.. or have you forgotten?" he smirked running his long fingers in his hair, even in the summer air she felt oddly cold, in fact freezing. He always had that air about him, when he approached people the surrounding area' temperature would dip. She shook the feeling off and tried fending for herself, she wasn't the little kid that she use to be anymore.

"Like hell I would," she retorted with venom in her words, "I won't just give them up, this time around it's going to be different." His eyes glowed in the dark shadows of the trees as he walked forward, his aura around him changing from red to black in an instant.

"What makes you think you can change history Te-chan?" he whispered into her ears when he got close enough, she closed her eyes as her hands curled into fists glowing and humming in low power.

"I'm sorry," she said back, a single tear was shed as she released her attack on him.

---------------------------

She was still unmoving in his arms, but he was patient, he'll wait a whole life time for her if he had to. They heard a blast from the outside and Kouichi scrambled to his feet in haste and ran towards the door but Kouji stopped his twin from doing anything rash.

"Kouichi, there's nothing we can do! Unless you want to get yourself killed out there then I suggest you stay put!" he said in a rushed voice handling his brother who was twisting against his grip like a wild animal trapped in a cage. Kouichi turned his wild blue eyes towards his brother and for once Kouji didn't know what to do.

"She's out there alone Kouji!" he said still trying to wrestle out of his brother's arms, "I just left her out there to defend for herself! She could be killed out there... Don't you understand?" he was heaving and trickles of water was coming down his face as he collapsed onto the floor, Kouji stepped back confused and shocked, he had never seen him like this before. _Crying_.

"She means the world to you doesn't she?" a voice spoke up from another corner of the room and everybody looked up to see Junpei standing up with a weird smile playing on his lips, "Figured with you ogling at her like that at home, something must be up... Go to her I'll watch guard after the other two." he said confidently and Takuya looked quizzically at him before saying anything.

"Two?" he asked not moving from his position afraid he might shift a change in Izumi's sleeping form, Junpei stepped up and took Izumi from Takuya's lap and held her close making sure she was ok.

"You don't expect me to let just Kouichi out there alone do you? Of course I'm sending you and Kouji out there too, you know..at least like that we have some chance of survival." He said then looked at Izumi sadly but still he smiled before closing his orange tinted brown eyes. "I loved her once... but she fell in love with her prince charming anyways. I guess for a moment in time I was truly jealous of you Takuya and pissed.. that you didn't realize that you had the gem of the crown in your hands and yet you did absolutely nothing about it."

"Yeah, he has a tendency to be stupid like that," Kouji smirked helping his brother up from the ground where he had fallen just a moment ago in hysterics.

"Great, bag on the guy with slow reflexes." Takuya muttered ungratefully under he breath as he got up and brushed the dust from his faded jeans, "You'll be ok right?" Junpei nodded and gave him a reassuring smile.

"I know you've been wanting to lay your fists into that guy for some time now Takuya... so let him have it will you? From all of us." Junpei said giving him a kick and a smile before another 'boom' and 'crash' caught their attention again making Kouichi pace around uneasily. The attacks were getting heavier and every time it hit the temple it made the old prayer room shudder and creak like scattered bones.

"Let's go!" Kouichi ushered already half way through the wooden doors when another blast came head long right at Kouichi.

"Kouichi!" a female voice screamed, a whirl of blue came out of no where and tackled Kouichi down before the blast hit him straight on, Kouji got up and growled.

"Damn it.. we're powerless so that means sitting ducks out here. Are you trying to get us killed out here Kouichi, cause I like to live, so sue me if I do." his brother said sitting up and looking over at his brother but Kouichi was already across the other side trying to get to Aoi who was laying on the ground seemingly motionless at the moment."Kouichi!" Kouji was about to go after him when Takuya stopped him.

"I'll go, I need you to promise me something Kouji... Look after Izumi and don't let her out of the temple no matter what the conditions are. Promise me she won't get hurt." he said not looking at Kouji but at Izumi, he brushed his hand off and scoffed.

"Why are you talking to me like you're going to die or something, I expect you to come back and tell her yourself of all these mush that we're making me listen to." he said giving him a look of mockery and sarcasm but Takuya wasn't laughing.

"Kouji." he said with a voice of seriousness that Kouji nodded, "Alright, don't wet your pants over it. But still Takuya, I expect you to come back, I don't want to be the one to break the news to her that you're dead or what not." but by then Takuya was already off after Kouichi in pursuit and Kouji clamored back into the safety of the wooden house-like temple.

--------------------------

Fate pushed herself up from the ground to face her brother whom has almost destroyed the place around them. There were holes and broken pieces of glass everywhere, the side was littered with halved trees and chunks of roof tops. This was more draining than she had anticipated, she never wanted a confrontation, if he had just left then everything would've been ok, but knowing her brother he wouldn't have backed down from a fight if you paid him all the money in the world. She coughed blood that splattered to the floor like paint when she felt someone near her side, she looked up and thought she saw an angel.

"Aoi.. can you hear me? Oh God, you're bleeding.. we have to get you out of here. Come on." Kouichi said picking her up, but she pushed him away. She couldn't stop now, she had to kick Death's ass to the next century or else she wouldn't be able to live it down knowing he'd be sticking around.

"Ah, the prey has come back to the predator." she heard her brother's mocking voice, but it was what he said that stopped her cold in her attempt to get up. There he was standing between her and her brother was Takuya, she couldn't see his face but she was pretty sure he was giving him one of his glares.

"Takuya... that stupid fool!" she growled trying to get up again but came to no avail, slumping back on the ground. What the hell was that idiot thinking going up against a Guardian like that! Was he asking for a death sentence? She has to stop him or else history was going to repeat itself all over again if she lets him die.. then it wouldn't be the only time she had allowed her brother to kill her friends so mercilessly in front of her. She shook her head slowly, "Not again... no." she muttered, with the help of Kouichi she managed to stand, by leaning against him for support when Takuya spoke.

"I'll make you a deal. You can have my soul, in return you leave them alone." he bargained with a slight fear to his voice, he didn't know what he was doing but this was the only way he knew to protect Izumi from any more harm. He hadn't told Kouji that he was doing this, if he did he knew that his friend wouldn't have let him off the hook without a fight. It was the reason why he wanted him to look after her once this deal was done. _'At least I wouldn't be hurting Izumi anymore...' _He thought to himself staring into the eyes of all that is evil in the world while he played the deal around in his head.

"Hm, so you decide to come and waste your last moments saving some pathetic lives instead of indulging yourself in human necessities. I applaud." he said snidely with a grin on his face. He was delighted that a soul like this was presenting himself to him, what luck he was having in accomplishing his goal!

"No!" Fate yelled and she heard an intake of breath from Kouichi as he heard the deal being made in front of him, she couldn't stop him in her condition and there was no one else to stop Death from taking Takuya's life. It was as if everything was set in slow motion, nothing could stop what happened next, all Fate could do was watch from afar with horrified eyes as her brother latched his hands into Takuya's body and yanked out an orb of fiery red.

_'I love you Izumi... Don't forget...'_

A/N: Dun! Dun! Duuuun! Holy cow! What's going to happen to Takuya? What will the Izumi do now? Who knows?! Now let's go review!


	24. Laws of Equivalent Exchange

A/N: OHH And we're back.. sadly to say the next chapter is going to be the last chapter.. (tear tear) but there's going to be an epilogue though! Also, I read 'Waterfalls' this other Takumi story.. it was about surfers.. and it got me inspired and excited.. I've decided to write a skater style fic of Takumi.. in honor of my friends (whom all seem to be all skaters..oddly . ") it's called 'Alls Fair in Love and Skate' check it out! Though I won't really start on it till maybe mid Feb... so yeah! Hah! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 24: Laws of Equivalent Exchange

_'I love you Izumi... Don't forget...' _a voice echoed in the whiteness of the world around her. The voice sounded so familiar she had heard it somewhere before.. that obnoxious voice that always argued with her whenever little things got in their way. She opened her eyes a looked around, there was only one other person with her, his dark hair was covering those beautiful eyes of his. _'What is this...' _She wondered looking at the boy in front of her.

"Takuya? What the hell is going on?" she said groggily rubbing her eyes to get them in focus, for some reason this seemed so surreal but yet it felt like she was here in reality. He just smiled at her with those pearly whites of his and turned around walking away, getting further and further away. "Hey! Takuya! Come back! I'm not done talking to you yet!" she yelled running after him, but he just seemed to be so much faster that soon he was just a dot on the blank canvas around her. And then he was gone. "Takuya! Damn that bastard for running out on me.. where the hell am I anyways?" she fumed turning around in a 360 circle trying to see anything but the mass of whiteness. It was no use there was nothing there except the vastness of the blank world surrounding her. She shivered involuntarily and touched her cold arm and started rubbing it for warmth when she heard another faint voice in the distant calling her. '_Izumi... Izumi...!' _the voice got louder, but not so loud that it rang in her ears. She recognized the voice, it was Kouji! Her heart soared, finally! Someone she knew! She started hollering his name trying to get his attention wherever he was, but it seemed like he couldn't hear her when she heard him say something really strange.

_'Izumi... can you hear me? If you can.. follow my voice and come home to us.. please.' _his voice was full of concern that it surprised Izumi for a moment.

"I'm asleep..." she said out loud, but how? How was she suppose to follow his voice and wake up if she can't even find where the front or back direction is? That's when she felt a slap on her face that was left with little tingles behind on her left cheek, then it came again until her face was throbbing.

"Ok! I get it! Geez!" she yelled and the slapping stopped, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The whiteness disappeared and she felt like she was flying across the sky and the next thing she knew her lashes were fluttering open to a pair of dark azure eyes that belonged to Kouji. She clumsily sat up and pushed Kouji to the floor and he looked at her with shocked eyes.

"That's for slapping me so hard." she grumbled rubbing her face and Kouji laughed kneeling besides her.

"That's the thanks I get for helping you out?" he teased her with a glint in his navy blue eyes that made her smile.

"Thanks.. for helping me get out of there.. where ever I was." she said touching his hand with hers and he just smiled and nodded and withdrew his hand.

"No problem, my grandmother taught me that... She said whenever people are in a stupor like that it means their souls are wandering aimlessly in the dark and can't get back home. Usually a familiar voice can call it back by guiding it..like a night light of some sort." he said looking up with thought then back down, "I really got to thank my grandma for that lesson one of these days..." Izumi looked around and saw that they were in some sort of room filled with used incense and a average sized looking Buddha in the middle of the room that made a warm sensation run down her body.

"Where are we Kouji?" she asked harmlessly walking around and taking in her new surroundings, it was much better than that place of whiteness.. it felt so uncontrolled. there was another feeling inside her heart telling her that something was utterly wrong as if a piece of her heart broke or stopped or something. She couldn't really pinpoint what the real cause of the feeling was but it wasn't sitting right with her.

"We're in a back room inside the temple, we were outside at the main prayer room..but you can you say that it got a little rickety inside so we moved you in here for better safety precautions." he said sitting on a chair, apparently he was waiting for something or someone. She looked again and realized that Takuya and Kouichi were gone and that Tomoki and Junpei had had disappeared too. Then she remembered, a fragment of what happened before she passed out, the man.. the one who called himself Death. She whirled around to face Kouji with a frantic look in her eyes and he knew what she was going to ask him.

"Where are they?" she whispered in a high-pitched tone that sounded like a wailing new born baby. He looked away afraid to meet her eyes, but Izumi wasn't giving up that easily to Kouji's stubbornness to protect her from the realities of life. She stepped back and curled herself away from him, he looked at her with soft eyes.

"Izumi... Please, I made a promise that I would protect you no matter what. I have a duty as his best friend." he said trying to reach her but she moved away, for a moment there was silence and he didn't know what else to say to her when she looked up at him with hard forest green eyes ablaze with determination and fire.

"Well your best friend is an idiot then, I don't need protection Kouji I can fight for myself you of all people should know that. I know that bone headed oaf doesn't understand, but I thought you did!" she snapped at him, and he just looked dumbfounded at her and that was when she made a run to the door. With Kouji's training as a kendo student, he was fast but Izumi wasn't a slowpoke either due to her connection with her inner element that allowed her seemingly fly across the room. He caught her by the legs just outside of the door as both of them fell to the floor with a hard thud, Izumi turned around and looked her him with a glare.

"Let go of me Kouji" she demanded swatting at his hand, but he didn't release his grip on her.

"Damn Izumi! You can be so hard-headed and rash sometimes exactly like Takuya!" he said with a whine in his voice as he pulled her closer to him and she struggled even harder when they heard footsteps coming their way. They both looked up at the same time the other two looked down with horrified eyes. Especially Tomoki's, he looked as if he had seen the word fall apart and then crushed on again until it was oblivion. They didn't have to say anything to tell her that something went south at the front and she felt that her heart fall to the pit of her stomach. Junpei wasn't looking at her and Tomoki was shaking in his pants with tears in his eyes. She picked herself up and walked past them without a sound, now she understood why she felt like half of her was dead. Something had happened to Takuya.. something bad. Kouji didn't stop her as he looked at the two with disbelief in his eyes, it just couldn't be that Takuya... Takuya Kanbara was gone. He was a fighter, always has been... he wouldn't have died so easily! He watched Izumi silently drag her feet one step in front of the other to witness the truth and he can't stop her. She could feel her feet taking her to the front of the temple where she first met Death with her own eyes. Not even in a million years would she ever be prepared for what was presented to her when she stepped over the railing and onto the battle field. The place was wrecked from head to toe with buildings collapsing on each other and smashed trees and windows. It was as if a tornado had blown through and destroyed everything in it's pathway, Aoi was in Kouichi's arm with blood splattered all over her shirt and pants, but that wasn't what caught her attention the most, the one that that almost made her want to end her own life right then and there. Junpei made his way behind and touched her shoulder lightly asking if she was ok but she didn't answer she just quietly made her way towards the heap of flesh on the ground. He laid there cold and unmoving on the ground, his eyes open wide as if in shock but glazed over in a sheet of white. Her breath never left her throat as she slowly moved her way out towards him, her heart thudded in her chest. No, he couldn't be.. he just can't! Not yet! There was so many things left unsaid between the both of them and.. and... and... it just couldn't be possible! But it was, reality took over and a wave of new emotions and tears streaked her green eyes as she fell onto the floor gathering Takuya up in her arms. His once warm body was cold and solid under her velvet touch, her mind was in chaos and her feelings askew from the path of straight and narrow, she was confused with what she really felt and what she wanted to feel.. but now that he's gone who's gonna smile at her and tell her it's ok? She hiccuped and held him closer to her, she believe this was happening to her. All she wanted was to see him again, she never wanted this part of the deal with it! It wasn't fair! Why him? Of all people in the world why had it been him taken away from her?

"No... No!" she screamed into the silent night of the pitch dark sky, she looked up at the menacing dark figure across from her and glared with all the hate in her body. Aoi was by her side standing agilely by, her wounds have healed.. but strangely too fast for a human. She was staring at her brother with eyes of wild fire and hate that she had never seen in her best friend before.

"Aoi... What am I suppose to do now... He's gone.." she sniffled and Aoi touched her shoulder and gave her a look as if she wanted to apologize and give her the world in return of Takuya.

"This one a little noisy.. don't you think Te-chan?" he said with a ridiculous look on his face of satisfaction, Fate bared her teeth; eyes turning primitive and wild.

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded from him and he shook with laughter even more before coming up with an answer.

"You made a mistake my dear sister.. it was one chance I could use to my advantage to get what I want without a hassle. You forgot the law of equivalent exchange between a Guardian and a mortal." he explained and Izumi saw Aoi's whole body stiffen and got straight to the point.

"You used my chance didn't you? You bastard.." she said through gritted teeth, "Those choices are fully optional to those who choose to use it. I chose not to.. I can't believe you would sink so low... nii-san." Kouichi was kneeling next to Izumi and trying to soothe the hysterical girl down when he looked up at Aoi and her brother. None of the things they were talking about made any sense to him and where was his brother when he needed him? "Yeah, why wouldn't I? There's no laws stating that other Guardians can't take other Guardian's clientele's gifts and yours just happened to offer his soul for the protection of you pathetic lot." a portal opened up behind him making the area around them windy and hostile, her voice rose again to that of her brother's retort again and she glowered at him this time, "You heartless son of a bitch,"

"His soul is mine... you should know the law of equivalent exchange, sister." he said, his long white hair bellowing out behind him and his black robes shrouded around him like a shadow. He stepped through the white mass of swirling light and disappeared with Takuya's soul, Izumi's breath was caught behind her throat as she watched him disappear she looked up at the girl and saw her jaw lock sideways and a death glare at the place where the man once stood.

"Damn it... How could you do that brother... even if you are Death." she murmured clenching her hands into fists. Izumi's eyes opened wide, this scene.. she had seen it before somewhere, the sense of deja vu so powerful this time that her head hurt. She remembered.. this was it.. this was her nightmare that Aoi had tired so hard to cover up. So she had known that he was going to go.. but she had forgotten, the memory long locked away in her head.

"This was it wasn't Aoi...? This was the nightmare that you took away fearing it would bring me sadness and pain." she murmured under her breath still cradling Takuya's dead body in her arms, Aoi turned around and pulled the wounded girl into her arms while she shed bitter tears on her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry Izumi... None of this was suppose to happen the way it was.. the laws of equivalent exchange.. it was to protect the Guardians, but now that one rule meant to protect has been used against us to kill an innocent."

"Can you open it..?" she asked simply not looking at Aoi and Aoi pulled back looking confused at Izumi, Izumi looked up with steely eyes and a hard face, "Can you open it?" she asked again and this time Aoi complied.

"You mean the portal? Of course, but why would you want me to..." then she understood what Izumi was going to do, "Oh Izumi... you can't, it's too dangerous for you to go in there.. who knows what's going to happen to a mortal like you."

"That's the thing... I'm not like other mortals, now am I?" she said with out hesitation, she had to do this it was all her fault that Takuya was in this situation and now she has to fix the problem she has created even if it meant dying to save him. Fate looked at the girl before her, she wasn't the same anymore as the little girl she watched growing up in Italy a few century back, the once shy and hidden girl has become a warrior of infinite strength. She smiled and finally nodded, she stood up and with a snap of her fingers a white milky portal appeared before them whipping their hair in their faces.

"Please take care of him until I get back..." she said looking one last time at Takuya before Aoi took over while Izumi faced the whirling mass of light before her. She gave a sigh of exhaled breath before she stepped in and the portal disappeared leaving Aoi with Takuya in her arms.

"She'll be ok right?" Kouichi asked stepping up from behind looking at where the sandy haired girl had vanished.

"Yeah... yeah she'll be alright." she said with a small smile.

-----------------------

Death flew past other portal gates as he raced to finish the latest soul he captured when he felt something tugging at his finger tips. He looked down and saw the soul within his hands glow with a bright golden aura that he has never seen in other souls. Something was wrong as he felt something or some_one _pulling him back to the mortal realm. He gritted his teeth and kept pushing forward, he was not letting go of this catch. He'll go back for the other one once he's done with this one, Takuya's soul slowly heated up until it started to burn, but he didn't let go until it scalded his fingers did Death release it and it flew back towards the portal that lead to it's body.

"Dammit!" he shouted going after it, he was sick and tired of this game of cat and mouse he was going to destroy that precious place they called home once he gets his hands on that soul again along with that little blondy's too he growled. He was going so fast that he didn't see the other person coming towards him and they collided on impact sending them hurdling back to Tokyo's portal

A/N: Re-edited 1/31


	25. Final Oblivion

A/N: Aww, well this is the end and it's the longest chapter of the story.. it was fun while it lasted! I really want to thank Golden Dragon36, Twilight Guardian, and Courageous Flame for reviewing especially Golden Dragon36 whom has been reviewing every chapter of the story.. God bless thee..(teat tear) it was because of you I can keep on writing.. you kept me going knowing you'll be there to review my story! (: But I'll be working on my other fic now, now that this one has come to an end.

Chapter 25: Final Oblivion

She had never been inside a dimension portal before, it wasn't like the time where she had to travel through eyeball portals back in the digital world. For that it was like walking through a door from one place to another but a dimension portal was different. There apparently was no grounding to the portal realm but that didn't stop Izumi from going after Death, other doors seem to be opening and closing all around her as she flew on by. She didn't even know where to start let alone go after a guy who has the ability to zap her to oblivion if he wanted to. She looked around nervously, only if Aoi was here to help her she seemed to know about this place a lot better than she did and she was the one that opened the portal. It was as if she has been opening these things all her life, how weird that she never really knew that Aoi had powers like that on the other hand she hardly knew about her family either. She had never seen any of her parents or siblings before nor has she ever seen them together at school events, but right now wasn't the time to think about such nonsense things, right now she has to find that man named Death. Just then she heard a whooshing sound coming from the other side of the portal way and she squinted her eyes to get a better look, a bright red flame flew past her in a second and she turned around to look at it again. Wasn't that Takuya's? She felt hope rising from the bottom of her stomach as she went after it, but just as she turned she felt something hit her from behind and sent her hurdling backwards to who knows where. All she could do was shut her eyes and pray that she made it through to the end.

-----------------------

It was taking too long, where was she? It wasn't suppose to be a confrontation, she hoped that Izumi knew that. She would be a fool if she thought she can take her brother on all by herself even if she was one of the legendary warriors, she would lose. She exhaled a deep breath as she held onto Takuya's body, if she didn't return soon his body won't make it, it would start decomposition the minute she let her spirit pressure off his body from decaying. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up to meet Kouichi's eyes with her own worried ones.

"Will this work? I thought he was..." he said but was cut off when Fate intervened his words.

"Don't you dare say those words Kouichi, he's not gone yet as long as Izumi can provoke Death to come back then he might still have a chance." she said softly looking at the empty air before her and Kouichi's grip tightened.

"But you have to look at the reality of things, she might come back in time before you know..." he tried again to sway her optimistic on look of hope that seemed never to be there in the first place, "Aoi... please be reasonable about this."

"I am! Have a little faith will you Kouichi!" she said angrily at him throwing him a dirty look, he stepped back with a frown pulling on his lips. She had never snapped at him like that before and this was the first time.. But he was out of line with what he said about Takuya, he knew that he was a fighter and Takuya wouldn't give up if this situation was about him so he shouldn't either.

"Being my twin brother you are very pessimistic you know that?" Kouji said coming out from the dark with Tomoki and Junpei. Tomoki's eyes widened as he saw Takuya's corpse in Fate's arms and Fate tried to explain without killing Tomoki's spirit that his nii-san was dead.

"Tomoki..." Fate murmured reaching out to him but he curdled from her reach, she gasped a little at his reaction from her and she lowered her hands away from him. Tomoki stepped back further and turned to run but Junpei latched onto his arm and gave him a stern stare.

"Are you going to run again? To think I thought you changed Tomoki, I thought you would face your challenges." he said with a monotone voice, but it had the effect of a knife to Tomoki as he stared into his eyes with fear and disbelief.

"Junpei! He's dead! Takuya's.. Dead..!" he sobbed his green eyes pouring with water and he tugged at his arm to be let go, this was it. He didn't want any of this anymore, this was all he could take he didn't want to watch anymore people dying for the sake of nothing. Why was it always them getting into trouble like this, no one was suppose to die though, that wasn't part of the plan to begin with. All Takuya said was that they were going to see Izumi again and that was it... he wasn't suppose to die.

"Don't give up on Takuya just yet Tomoki, you know that idiot always has something up his sleeve." Kouji said putting his hand into his pockets and looking up at the star lit sky, that was all he can do for now is to calm the others while they waited for a miracle to happen. He just can't believe that Takuya's gone, that imbecile is too stubborn to just give up like that. A whirring sound came from the empty sky above them and they all looked up when bright lights flashed from beyond the stars and landed around them with crashing sounds that Fate and the others scrambled out of the way.

"What the hell is going on?!" Kouichi yelled above the roar of the ripping skies, Junpei fell to the floor aghast at what he saw was happening above the city of Nagasaki and Tomoki hid his face behind his hand. Both Kouji and Kouichi stood ready to fight when a red ball of fire came breaking through the dark colored background and hovered over Takuya's body. Fate walked over to the middle of the hurricane of power and looked directly at the center of the white hole with a dazed look in her plum colored eyes.

"Aoi!" Kouichi yelled trying to get to her but his brother stopped him from getting any further, "Shit Kouji! What the hell!"

"Let her do what she has to do Kouichi!" he shouted over the wind and scattering branches that was hitting them all from everywhere.

"It's breaking.. The portal's breaking open." she said in a small tone raising her arms to the air, her hair were around her like an aura of light and she closed her eyes and opened her mouth to sing a single note into the opening. The ground started rumbling with a force of a mild earthquake as the others screamed and shouted rambling things to each other, then suddenly stopped as Fate stopped singing and the portal stood wide open still and frozen in the midnight darkness. It was all quiet when two bodies dropped from the top and fell swiftly onto Earth, Kouji recognized one as Izumi with her light blonde hair flowing in the air and he ran and reached her before she hit the concrete. She landed softly into his arms whereas the other slammed into the ground making the earth shake once more breaking ground and dirt. He leaped onto the other side just in time as the dark figure rose from the floor sending immense energy out. His head rose with his white hair dangling from the side of his head and his eyes glowed with annoyance and bitterness.

"Bitch!" he growled from his throat looking at the girl in Kouji's arms and he turned away in reflex to shield her from harm.

"Brother...!" Fate gasped falling backwards slightly from surprise, her head turned to look at Izumi who was stirring awake in Kouji's arms and getting to her feet, "Izumi watch out!" Death attacked with his out stretched arm with a glare in his eyes, attempting to take Izumi's life. Izumi gasped, his attack was too fast to dodge and all she could do is try to cover herself with her arms, thinking she was a goner only one thought crossed her mind.

'_Takuya!'_

_-------------------------------_

She felt a warm breeze graze her cheeks and she opened her eyes slowly, the sunlight shot through the trees and hit the grass making them look greener than usual. It was quite pretty actually, but where was she? She quite remembered that she was at the Saionji Temple earlier and it was night time too, so what was going on? She got up from the tree trunk she was leaning on and rubbed her eyes, the area was so warm with lush bushes and eucalyptus trees that the place didn't look familiar to her. She yawned and stretched her arms to let her blood flow around, then stood up to scanned the land around her, it didn't look like Kyushu to her so where the heck was she exactly? _'Hmm... Takuya..' _she thought miserably to herself, maybe she was dead and this was heaven or something. She had failed to save herself and Takuya, some warrior she was.

"Izumi." her head shot up from his voice and her sour face turned to delight when she saw his light brown eyes twinkle down at her along with that joyful smile of his, he had his hand extended out to help her up but she didn't take his hand but literally jumped into his arms instead.

"Takuya! I thought you died! Oh my God... I.. I.. Thought I..I... Lost you." she stammered with useless tears coming out from her eyes, dammit she was crying again, but she couldn't help it she was just so damn happy to see him alive and well. He laughed wrapping his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace, she fell into his mold and long arms that she remembered so well and took in his smell. The way he felt and the way he smelled was so inviting that she smiled involuntarily and relaxed into his hug. The wind made the leaves sing a with a soft tune while the two stood in each other's arms, she was in too deep already and she couldn't keep herself from falling any deeper. So this was how it felt like to feel like this, she liked it, she couldn't believe she's been shutting it out all these years. "Where are we Takuya?" she murmured into his chest hooking her fingers into his white shirt, he kissed the top of her head and answered with a simple reply.

"We're in your memories, don't you remember?" Izumi looked up rather surprised than shocked, he flicked her forehead and ran off laughing. Without a sound she ran after him wanting to know answers to what he meant by saying what he did

"Hey! Wait up!" she huffed running after him, he turned around once and smirked soon he was slowing down to wait up for her. He was facing a pasture filled with sunflowers and he climbed the fence over it and disappeared into it's density of yellow and green. Izumi rolled her eyes and went into the flowers in suit, she pushed through the stems trying to see where Takuya had run off to when she felt someone's arms snake their way around her abdomen and pull her down to the soft moss like ground. The flowers muffled her cries when she fell next to a warm body and next to her.

"You're a screamer," he teased pulling on her hair, grinning at to her. The flowers next to them began to rustle and two other beings popped out of the greenery giggling, they stopped short when they saw Takuya and Izumi on the bottom. Izumi's eyes widened in shock, it was Kouichi and Aoi but in a different era's clothing style more like 18th century fashion.

"Oh, didn't know you two were already here." Aoi giggled looking at the two of them, her face with tinged pink from the sun with her dark brown hair in curls bouncing around her snow white face and cherry red lips. Those purple colored eyes glittered under the sun like amethyst crystals, her eggshell yellow dress flounced around like the sun with frills and layers of petticoats. The dress enhanced her bust and other areas making her look more beautiful than before, not like she needed anymore beauty she was hot as hell as it is. Kouichi was in a dark suit looking outfit with a white shirt underneath, he looked handsome as they say. Both looked like they were from wealthy families and great stature.

"That dress looks cute Aoi..." Izumi said out-of-the-blue and was surprised that she even said it out loud, Aoi turned around and smiled.

"Thanks, you look adorable in lilac Izumi." Izumi looked down at her own outfit and was taken back that she was wearing something similar to that of Aoi's except of different style and form, "Come on Kouichi! Let's get out of here and leave these two love birds to their own business."She took his arm and they left laughing together, their voices ringing in the distance. Izumi laid back down and snuggled closer to Takuya, the sun didn't seem to be warm enough. She felt him sigh and come closer seeking her body warmth, his head slightly touching hers.

"Takuya..?" she mumbled with slurring to her words, she could feel her eyes droop with sleepiness.

"Hm?"

"What year... what year is this?" she asked the grogginess getting worse as she spoke, she felt his fingers touch her face lightly and she shivered under his touch.

"I don't remember.. 18- something."he replied causally looking down at her with a small smile. She nodded a little drifting off to sleep, "Takuya... I'm so sleepy.."

"Oh.. But you must wake up Izumi...wake up." he said, she heard him and his voice echoed in her head.

'_Wake up...'_

Izumi's lashes fluttered open, she blocked out the light that was shining in her eyes as she sat up. Those memories felt so real... she was back in the 18oo's, and it seemed like she had known Takuya and the others for awhile now.. Back then in another life time, way back when they had loved each other. She remembered the feeling when she was in his arms, the warm emotions that flooded her whole being from head to toe and made her heart soar above the clouds of heaven. _'Love.' _it has always been about love, he came back because he had followed the sound of what his heart told him and he went through so many obstacles just to get to her. He was even willing to give up his life for her and in return she ran away from him because she was too afraid to return any feelings, refusing to open up because the fear of being alone again. She was scared he was going to break her heart.

"Holy shit, thought you would've died back there. Are you ok?" Kouji asked snapping her out of her trance, the 4 fours looked at her with eyes full of concern.

"I saw Takuya..." she said not looking at anyone in particular, "Where's Aoi..?"

"Fighting off her brother as long as she can," Junpei answered, Izumi got up in a dazed rush and ran towards the front and saw devastation. Both Aoi and Death were on the ground panting and bleeding everywhere, Aoi's arm seemed to be broken and her brother looked more ferocious than before with leathered wings sprouting from his back and steel claws where his hands were suppose to be. Aoi looked at her with large eyes and screamed, "Izumi! You have to get to Takuya! It's time you tell him the truth! It's the only way to save him! Don't be afraid to get hurt Izumi." Death saw Izumi's reaction and grinned maliciously at her, Izumi and Death both eyed Takuya's body that still had his soul looming over it and at the same exact moment reached for him. She got to him first and covered his body with hers, she dug her fingers into his clothes and shut her eyes getting ready for the impact of his attack.

"I love you Takuya," she whispered into his ears and gently kissed him on the lips.

----------------------------

Takuya felt a banging in his head and he opened his eyes to see Izumi laying on his stomach and slowly got up and nudged her awake, she didn't move and this worried him.

"Don't worry, she'll be awake soon." a voice spoke up from behind him and he turned his head to see Fate staggering forward to where he was, he smiled and turned back to look at the sleeping form on his lap.

"I heard what she said Fate."he said touching Izumi's face, "I don't know what happened but when I heard her voice I just had to come back... from where ever I was.. I think I was gone wasn't I? And she brought me back.. I think I've been waiting life times for her to say that to me. When I first saw her on the platform.. It was the feeling of exhilaration."

"She was hiding, due to fear. She hid her heart and suffocated in the end, but you saved her you know that.. Even though it was your fault to begin with." she joked sitting next to him. He turned to look at her, "Fate, will you tell me what happened?" she shrugged looking at the sky that was beginning to turn into dawn.

"I don't know really, when my brother attacked it never got through to you two, a big flash erupted as if in rebound and the next thing I know the whole place is desecrated and we were all unconscious. Your soul reunited with your body when she told you her feelings that she's been hiding all these years and this time she saved you instead." she strummed her fingers on the floor and laughed, "I can't believe it's over.. Finally."

"Not really dear sister," a dark voice sounded from the side and Fate froze in her seat, _'No!' _She whirled around and confronted her brother, "Why won't you stop? There's nothing left for you here, the cycles over, the girl's feelings are out and we're free so why don't you just go back. Caroline's waiting don't you understand?" Her brother stopped and looked at her with confused eyes, for once in centuries he looked almost human. "You've been so angry at your fate that you've forgotten about the promise you made to Caroline that you would be back for her, that you would be by her side.. I know you can't save her... so.." she took a deep breath, "So I'm willing to give up my immortality for Caroline brother." she closed her eyes and touched her heart, a soft hum came from deep within and a glow began to form around her body. She opened her eyes and in her hands was a ball of light in which she handed to her brother who didn't say anything but look at her sister with a blank expression. Suddenly he doubled over in pain and a dark cloud shot from his body and screamed before disappearing, he heaved up vomit then fell backwards looking up at his little sister.

"Te-chan... is that you?" he mumbled incoherently squeezing his eyes shut for awhile from the sudden brightness around him, "Dear God.. it's been years since I've seen sunlight..." he stood up on shaky legs and without a warning Fate rushed over to him and threw herself on top of him laughing with tears in her eyes not caring that barf got all over her. She didn't have to say anything to let him know that she was glad that he was finally back to the old Death that she had known and love when they were little kids, the one brother that she had spent a life time with, the one she had grown up with. She pulled back and wiped away the tears that were forming in her eyes and laughed.

"I can't believe you were right, I am still a cry baby." he stopped her hand and smiled shaking his head.

"No, you're not. You're crying in place of me.. I have my own body and yet I choose not to shed tears... I was a fool. You saved me Te-chan, you should be proud.. I could've killed you back there if you stopped believing in me.. but you didn't you fought me till the end and for that I thank you you." he said gently brushing a tear away with his thumb, his eyes reverted to the ball of light in her hand and he frowned, "Te-chan.. what are you doing with that? It's dangerous to be flailing your immortality like that." She looked up at his ruby red eyes and cocked a small smile before stepping back and looking at him at a full length. Fate had already decided what she wanted from her life and that was to be with Kouichi even if it meant giving up her life being as a Guardian and all the nonsense that came with it,

"I already told you, I want you to be happy nii-san, and I'm willing to give it all up for you. I mean.. I've always got Kouichi with me with the other guys too." she said pulling Kouichi by her side, Kouichi smiled a greeting and extended his hand.

"I'm glad you're back," he said and Death took his hand in his large ones, he looked back at his little sister. He couldn't believe what she was doing, she was giving up her life for him even after what he had tried to do to her and her friends and the centuries of torture that he had her endure. It just wasn't fair to her, he can't take it.. even if it meant losing Caroline. Fate read her brother's and eyes and touched his arms.

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. You deserve to be Caroline... she's waited all these years for you anyways don't make her wait any longer than necessary." she jested giving him a soft punch to the arm, she diligently put the orb of golden light into his hands and snapped her fingers making a portal appear before them. She pushed him forward towards the opening but he stopped her before he went in.

"What am I suppose to tell dad?" he asked in a panicked voice, she chuckled and gave him a shove sending him through the light, then she yelled right into it after him.

"Make up something you dork!" the light began to fade around the portal and both Kouichi and Fate took a step back before it disappeared, Kouichi looked down at the dark brown haired girl and gave her a kiss on top of her head and she looked up giving him a warm smile in return. The fight was finally over, the two just stared at the rising sun before them when Kouichi put a hand around her small shoulders and lead her back to the others.

"You gonna be ok?" he asked steering the tired girl to the group on the other side of the building and she nodded with her hair sticking to the dry sweat on her face, dirt had made it's way all over her face. She desperately needed a shower and a good bed to lay in with warm covers.

"I'll be alright, I've spent over 6 life times with you.. I think I know a little about being a mortal Kouichi, but it'll take practice to get use to everything now that I am one." she giggled, just the fact that she was human made her laugh. She felt free for once in her life she didn't have the duties of a Guardian anymore. What more could she ask for? Fate and Kouichi walked up in with their tattered clothes and looked at the others before them, they looked broken and exhausted, but still ok. Izumi was still out on Takuya's lap, the last part of the battle must have really taken a bite out of her. Fate kneeled next to Takuya and Izumi while Kouichi tended to others, she gave him a skeptical look and he stared back with his bronze colored eyes.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked him, it was a simple question but yet it was the hardest question Takuya had come to face. "Are you leaving again." this time it wasn't a question it was a demand to know. He closed his eyes against the wind of the new day as the sun rose from behind the mountains staining the morning sky with hues of pink, purple and gold.

"I'm taking her home," he said quietly, he swooped her in his arms and began to walk away. Just from his actions Fate knew the answer and she swayed her head in disappointment.

"I hope you know what you're doing Takuya Kanbara." she murmured into the light blue sky that was dawning the vastness of he open area above her. After all these centuries of looking after mortals this one perplexed her beyond anything she had ever come to face with. She didn't understand his motives of leaving, and she didn't understand why he would do that to a poor girl who has spent life times trying to tell him three simple words that had exploded into an all out war in the end. Maybe it was one of those things that are not meant to be understood. Human aren't difficult to understand but when it came to dealing with their feelings is a whole other story. She watched the back of him slowly disappear into the horizon carrying his blonde beauty in his arms, her hair flapping in the wind of the morning mountains. He felt her shift in his arms seeking his warmth, and he smiled feeling a sense of satisfaction knowing that she subconsciously sought his presence in her sleep.

"I love you Takuya..." she mumbled in her sleeping state, he lowered his head just a little so he could kiss her fore head. His dark chocolate hair covered his eyes, but still he felt the pain that was stabbing at his heart as he held on tighter to the girl he loved.

"I love you too..." he whispered.


	26. Epilogue

Epilogue: 9 years later

She stood by the door frame of the house looking out at the horizon of the afternoon sun blazing down at the streets of Nagasaki. Her hair touched her waist line in little strings of blonde and silver that seemed to glow under the sun. She watched and she waited patiently for any changes or signs, she had felt that today would be different today she would see her star in the mingling city lights. But that was how she felt for the last nine years and it's no different, she would wait by the door watching the city go by on it's daily routine then she would finally go in when the sun disappeared behind the mountain lines and the skies darkened with colors of navy blue and purple. She closed her eyes and sighed, it felt like it was just yesterday that the battle had began and ended all because she had denied her feelings. She let her head lop to the side as she thought back to the morning she began her life long wait for her shooting star.

------------------------

Izumi's eyes creaked open as she looked around, a blast of pain hit her head like a ton of bricks as she shut her eyes again and groaned. She heard the door open and feet walking inside pulling a chair up to the bed side. Then a clatter of bowls and plates made her open her eyes again, she saw Aoi putting down a tray of food with medicine on the table and propped Izumi up in her bed. She must've looked like shit that morning, she could feel it. Her whole body was sore from head to toe and her head felt like it was about to explode from the pain. Aoi handed her some pills and smiled as she sat down next to her.

"Aspirin, take it, it'll help the headache. Your mom's downstairs making breakfast for Junpei and the others. I brought her back from Okinawa when the battle was over, I had wiped away the date line that they were coming back in three days and they stayed longer than you had usually planned. I told her you got a little sick from the heat and she came right back home with your father. They're really worried about you." she said giving her a reassuring smile, Izumi held onto the cup of warm water she was given and looked down at the rippling water in the glass cup. There was something she wasn't telling her something she's too afraid to bring up, Izumi touched Aoi's hand softly never daring to look into her best friend's eyes because she was scared she wouldn't be able to stop crying if she did.

"Where is he...?" she asked cautiously picking at the ends of her blanket, "And don't play dumb with me Aoi... I want you to tell me the truth. I'm not a little girl anymore.. I can handle it." Aoi looked away troubled down to the floor and without saying anything Izumi knew that he was gone. She felt a stinging pain in her heart when she finally understood, "He's gone isn't he?" Aoi looked up with despairing eyes and didn't speak up, Izumi shook her head and stared at the ceiling before her. "Why..?"

"He said he had some unfinished business he had to take care of first and that.. He would be back one day.." Aoi mumbled sadly trying not to make the situation any worse than it was already is.

"One day Aoi.. You know what that means? It's most likely that he's not coming back.." she said not taking her eyes off the beige ceiling that was preoccupying her eyes. Aoi finally looked up and watched Izumi with her purple eyes.

"What are you going to do then?" she questioned the sandy haired girl before her who stopped looking at the ceiling and watched her hands.

"I'm going to wait."

----------------------

It seemed so possible then, but as years passed on by it began to look bleak that he was ever coming back. She was jolted awake from her memories when she felt someone tugging at the hem of her shirt and she looked down at a young boy of 9 years old looking up at her with piercing green eyes, the only thing that he had inherited from his mother the rest was exactly like his father with the dark messy hair and bold attitude.

"Mom, Aunt Aoi's coming over later. She called and told me to tell you." he said and she nodded, "I'm going to go play in the backyard, tell me when Aunt Aoi and Uncle Kouichi comes over yeah?" he asked skipping down the stairs and back into the house again. She laughed watching the her son hopping through the front door, "Alright Takashi, have fun." She turned around again and heard squealing and laughter in the distance, she had an idea who it was when Aoi and Kouichi appeared over the hills. Aoi had two giggling twins in her hands and Kouichi had a baby in his arms when they arrived at the front door of Izumi's house. Kouichi gathered the children with his other arm and ushered them all into the house while Aoi sat down on a stone granite bench near Izumi's side, she gave her husband a quick kiss on the lips before he disappeared into the house ordering the kids not to destroy anything.

"Twins and a single baby. You and Kouichi are spawning like rabbits, must be busy nights under the Kimura household eh Aoi?" she said slyly poking at Aoi who had turned a little red, but wasn't down for the count.

"Saya and Kai are three years younger than Takashi Izumi and little Riku is even younger.. You had Takashi when you were just 17.. that makes it that you did it way before I did. I think that counts for something." she shot back victoriously and Izumi held up her hand in surrender.

"You win this round," she laughed. She did had Takashi at a young age right when he left she had found out she was pregnant, oh was her mother and father furious at her but in the end helped her raise the child while she attended school. Kouichi and Aoi got married at the age of 19 and had the twins when they were 20, then two years later had another young one in addition to the family. They had decided to move to Nagasaki into Aoi's old house and while Kouji went back to Tokyo to study, he is currently happily married with one daughter. Junpei was a CEO of his own industry in the big city of Tokyo and often visited Izumi and the others, his love life is on hold as of now. Little Tomoki is in his last year in college before moving onto medical school for another three years, he lives in a pent house in Yokohama with his lovely fiancee. Things changed over the years and now they've all grown up have their own lives to live and families to support, but it just wasn't fair that Takashi never knew his father. The children came scrambling out the front when a man stepped through the front gates leaving Aoi with her mouth hanging open and Kouichi looking shocked, only Izumi stood perfectly still and calm.

"Oh my God," Aoi said almost breathless, Takuya stood before them with a crooked smile and hands in his jean pockets. Aoi quietly stood up and took Saya and Kai's hands leading them into the house, "Come on Kouichi, bring Riku in it's getting chilly outside." what a bunch of bull that was, Nagasaki was smack dabbed in the middle of summer right now, but Kouichi followed anyways leaving only Izumi, Takuya, and Takashi outside who was looking at the man with interested eyes. He wasn't afraid to show that he curious at the newcomer who has some what of the same features as he does, but he recognized him from the pictures and stories that his mother had always told him about, about his father.

"Dad!" he yelled running forward and throwing himself in his arms, Takuya scooped up the boy in his arms and laughed messing up Takashi's hair.

"Hey there squirt," he said setting him down, "Now be a good boy and go in, daddy and mommy has something to talk about." he quietly obeyed and ran inside the house. He stood up quickly and dusted his pants before looking at Izumi, her pink lips were firmly pressed together making them into a line and her eyes were big with shock and surprise. She walked down the steps and looked up at the man who stood before, the man that had impregnated her, the man that had broken her heart more than once, the arrogant jerk that she had fell in love with 12 years ago, the arrogant jerk that she was still in love with today. Out of no where she slapped him hard across the face, he turned and looked at her with bewildered eyes.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked rubbing his face that was throbbing in pain, she glared at him.

"That was for leaving Takuya Kanbara and this is for not being there for Takashi!" and she slapped him again on the other side of the face, "And this one--" she rose her hand again to hit him but he stopped her with his hard grip, she was already in tears before she could even stop them from free falling down her face. He stared apologetically into her watered green ones as he held her chin on his finger tips and kissed her gently kissed her 9 times before stopping and looking at her again.

"Each kiss for each year that I was away from you, I'm sorry Izumi that I left, I was stupid and I was out of my mind to do it, but I promise I won't leave you again that's why..." he pulled out a small box from his jacket and kneeled down before her, she lost her voice and breath when she saw the ring that appeared in the box, the white diamonds glistened in the sunlight like little gems dancing in the velvet dark blue box.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, those words seemed to linger in her head when she heard a squeal from behind and they both turned to look and saw Aoi peeking from the front door with her husband smiling from ear to ear.

"It's about time he asked," Kouichi said pulling out his phone, "Big news calls for big celebration." Izumi could feel her face burn with embarrassment as she looked at Takuya still kneeling on the ground.

"Say yes already!" she heard Aoi yell out, Izumi could only smile as she nodded and Takuya slipped on the ring on her finger, it fit perfectly. He stood up and pulled her into his arms making her gasp.

"I'm forgiven then?" he asked lustfully, and she smirked pushing him away a slightly.

"Save it for the bedroom Kanbara, let's see if you still have your skills." she teased, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed out, "I love you though.." he smiled down at her, his princess, his beautiful fair-haired beauty was finally his, he laughed a little overjoyed, "I know, I love you too Izumi." she smiled kissing him with all her heart and soul and he taking her kiss and forever protecting it in his heart as a lingering memory of her love for him and how it just took one destiny and fate to bring them together.


End file.
